cruise ships

[Tony Wilding]

Just goes to show what Rogues these Companies are, there is no proof all there due Tips are paid to them anyway.the Company has too much control. a Tip is a payment for good service, strictly between the Customer and whoever He or She thinks deserves one. how the Company can withold them i do not know, very suprised to hear Cunard Flagships give such bad service., there name has certainly gone down, but they are Cunard in name only, so to be expected. sailing under false colours.

[Captain Kong]

I did hear that the Top people get biggest share of Gratuities, then goes smaller all the way down to the lowest paid who get almost nothing.
That is why I sign the form and only pay the guys who give me good service.
Since the QE2 was sold off the Cuard service has gone down the tubes. Very disapointed with the Queen Elizabeth.
I found Holland American very good for service and catering, better than Cunard. The Tip regulation is still the same.
I am looking at Holland America for my next trip down to the Pacific Islands again. I had one of my very best cruises with Holland America last year, on the ROTTERDAM, 30 days in the South Pacific Islands, Pure Paradise, May do it again next year.

Cheers, Brian

[Neville Roberts]

We got very little tips on the western ocean run except for the yanks coming over too UK on vacation, on the cruises in the winter it was recomended for $1 a day per , person and you did not always get that ,but we got paid 59 pound a month plus overtime and sundays atsea , so e were pretty well off ,I remember the best 2 week cruise ,the southern carribean Iended u wth $150 in tips , and when in NYC I found out that I could get a job as waiter and make a good living so thats what I did , now hve 3 yank kids and 8 yank grandkids, who are all brainwashed Americans ,yikes

[Ray McCerery]

Thanks for that Brian, the bit that gets me is that the company witholds it as a bonus. If you put a tip in the staff tin in a pub, you expect the staff to get it, probably on a xmas share out, but if the landlord held onto it as a bonus, i would expect big trouble. However the ways of the sea have always been different i suppose, regards KT

Try Saga Cruises, It's all inclusive..

Ray

[Captain Kong]

I think when it is all inclusive everything including Tips and drinks are all built into the price, so you pay either way,
but if it is not inclusive then at least you can go to the Pursers Office and tell them you are not paying.
Cheers ]
Brian

[Tony Wilding]

the bad service and surly attitudes must get reported back to Cunard, you would think it would be rectified, strange so many eastern Europeans are employed, Filipinos are much more polite and friendly, not had much experience with Eastern Europeans, only Poles, sailed with a few, found them ok. my Grandmother was Polish, but have never been to Poland. i can just imagine the fiddles regarding Company payment of them, as to who gets what.

[happy daze john in oz]

From my experience it varies between companies and country of origin. From here in Oz Princess and now P&O no longer ask you to pay tips, it is left to you to decide if you want to pay. Royal Carribean give you the option of not paying, paying as you go or having the cost added to you account. If you choose the latter then on the last night you are given dockets with envelopes to give to your winger, assistant, head waiter and BR. They in turn can cash them up at the pursers office.

Keith my advice to you, sign the paper saying you do not wish to pay compulsory, then make your own mind up as who you want to give a tip to.

[David Kirke Thomson]

regarding tips on board cruise ships.My wife n i have been on 6 and going on another in Nov for her ** birthday.We now opt out of pre paid gratuities as they call tips now and give them personaly to those who deserve them.ie. cabin steward or stewardess and waiters ect. That way you know who gets what.the better they are the more they get,and believe me they work nonstop for what they get. P.S. Don't be put off going on a cruise you'll love it.I 've been with Royal Caribbean 4 times and we're sailing on the Independance of the Seas from Southampton on Nov 22nd and time is starting to drag like an old anchor chain.

[Captain Kong]

I think cruising is great for a vacation. For one thing you do not get mugged going back to your room from the bars.
I believe it is very bad for mugging in Benidorm.
Plenty of good runs ashore world wide.
I have met a lot of good and interesting fellows on my trips, Just from this site alone this year, I have met
John Adamson in Long Beach, California, Lou in Dunedin NZ Happy Daze John and Neil in Melbourne,
Vernon , Joe Doyle and Roger Dyer in Sydney. If I didnt cruise I would never have had the pleasure of doing so.
So far we have done, Five QE2 trips world wide to the Cape Town, and three trans pacifics and one Trans At., Two Queen Mary 2 trips. Maiden voyage and around Cape Horn to LA. Funchal from Perth to Liverpool
Caronia from Cape Town, Carnival Inspiration Central America and West Indies. Minerva, round Cape Horn to the Antarctic from South America to Cape Town, the Rotterdam, Holland America 30 days in the Pacific Islands from San Diego. and new Queen Elizabeth, trans Pacific.to Sydney.
If you shop around you can get some good bargains so it not all that expensive. Again what are you saving up for at this age,
The way I work it out is, If I do a two month trip in winter, I have two months pension in the bank,
two months less Gas, Electric and Water Bills to pay, Two months less Grocery Bills to pay. No Petrol to buy for two months. I take a couple of litres of whiskey from the Duty Free Shop at the airport and then I do not spend my money in the ships bar. Anne does not drink so that saves a few bob.
Add all that up and you save a hell of a lot of money that helps to pay for most of your cruise, especially if you can shop around and get a good discount on it. We always go in an Inside cabin. it is the cheapest, sometimes we have been lucky and had a free upgrade to an outside cabin. If you pay extra for an outside cabin ,. what are you going to see outside of your cabin window? Sea, and you pay a lot of money for that, just go on deck if you want to see the sea. Cheaper.
Happy cruising
Brian

[Neville Roberts]

Me and the missus, only have done 2 cruises of 1 week each the first one was on the majesty of the sea when she was only 3 trips old . before we went I looked at all the decks on line and decided on the prom deck that had the least cabins on that deck and was easy to get too the bars and public rooms I also got a couple of bottles on board , we could walk out of our cabin and onto the prom deck with a bevvy in hand , just like a huge balcony with hardly any one on it , the second one was a 1 week eastern caribean on the extasy carnival we got a siute there with a balcony . but the royal caribean one was better .I would like to do a hawaian cruise if I can get my old lady to pack the bags again .