Thinking of a Cruise

[robpage]

I just cannot endorse what I spent years at sea fighting arguing against . As far as tips go , i am not a generous tipper , but if I spent two weeks at a hotel , i will probably leave a 10 Euro tip to the room cleaners , for a fortnight on a Cruise Liner , I would be expected to leave 100 Euros , not a cat in hells chance .Shipowners have always exploited the officers and crews since ships were wooden hulled and rowed by slaves , it seems that progress is not that great .

[happy daze john in oz]

Interesting fact for you in the nortrh. Here in Oz we are not a nation that tips very often, it is not in our way of life. On one ship a number of the wingers made the comment that as most of the bloods were from Oz they did not expect to recieve tips. But a Head chef on Royal caribbean once told me that some crew in catering were getting as much as $1,000 a month. Only his word for that but he was a Pom now living in Sydney and i had no eason to dis believe him. From what I know of it P&O are by far the worst of them when it comes to grabbing tips and paying low wages. Incedently with Royal Caribbean all bar purchaes have a 15% surcharge, 'tip' added to the price.

[Tommy the T]

On a personal point of view, I think the whole concept of cruising changed in a dramatic way for crew members & passengers alike in the 80,s, not in my opinion for the better
Apart from expecting the passengers tips to basically pay for crew wages, it was also things like the fact that after a stint working as a crew member changing from 4 months to 9 months, going home on leave with no guarantee of being given another trip after the UNPAID leave, ( I was originally contracted as a P&O employee & so was paid whether at sea or at home), also at the time the change also included being paid in US dollars where originally I was paid in sterling direct into my home bank, sorry for my waffle but at the time the US dollar was very weak to the £pound & so even tho the company said they would ensure I would receive a minimum of $650 per month (whilst onboard) it was worth alot less against the sterling £.

I have been on 3 cruises as a passenger since leaving the sea, & each time I have gone to the pursers bureau to ensure that no tips were added to my onboard account, which I had to argue my case for the reasons why but was accepted on each occasion,
BUT I always personally tipped the crew that ensured I received good service....waiter / cabin steward & any bar staff that i ordered drinks from would receive a tip from me in cash at the time of service ( like the old days ).

Tho I must say, if I didn,t have my family life that I now have ( kids etc) then I would go back to sea again tomorrow.........but on general cargo ships, not cruise liners ( liners that are not liners but blocks of flats).

cheers
Tommy the T

[robpage]

I don't see why you should have had to argue your case really , tips are optional , if they are compulsary , then they are part of the fare . I was at sea nearly twenty five years , and I do't ever remember getting a tip for doing what I was paid for , but have certainly seen the officers steward had a couple of pounds at the end of a five week trip , because those guys used to put themselves out to do that little bit extra . That made my life more comfortable and was worth the "thank you " . Tips as a norm , No Nay Never !!!!!!!

The tight B*****d on the South Coast

[jimmys]

I was with P&O bulk shipping on agency contracts six months. This was mid eighties they were breaking contracts with their British Crews then right throughout the company. I said in a previous post they were a bad lot and Tommy the T has just confirmed it. I had served over twenty years with Blue Flu and Texaco and P&O were the low life. I was made redundant from Texaco but the ships were all away to scrap.

I dont go on passenger ships at all unless I am paid to and I have no intention of changing that stance. In fact I do not go on any ships unless I am paid.

regards
jimmy

[Neville Roberts]

the tipping on the ships , came from the USA, where waiters in restaurants were paid far below minimum wage and expected too make it up by good service too the customers , %15 percent was the norm for ordinary service % 20 for good . if you sold $1000 or more a day it added up. today in big cities like NY a waiter can sell $3000 or more a day so add that up. around$ 125,000 or more a year pretty good wages . I was a waiter for 35 years , and its just another lifestyle , the shiping companies today take advantage of the system though , I think the crew can still make a good living at it but the hours are long. just like we did 10 hours a day 7 days a week , of course we got a few cheapos ..but the rest made up for them , averaged it out,

[Tommy the T]

I must admit....I was shocked on my first cruise sailing with American passengers, I vividly remember serving a passenger a "coke", cost = $1 ......and he tipped me $1.50

I,d previously spent 9 months on the Canberra, part of which was the homeward bound leg of the world cruise where tips were.... how shall I put this........a rare sight indeed

Also whilst serving as a wine steward on the Royal Princess , with American bloods, I had approx 85 bloods on my section per sitting, one couple had a bottle of wine with the main meal & a bottle of Dom P for desert every night, every night the guy would thank me & shake my hand....$25 in my hand....he did the same to the waiter & bus boy.....on the last night of the cruise the handshake contained $200.

So , yes the culture is very much an American thing, & in a way it was no surprise that the shipping companies used this to their advantage by using tips to pay the wages of the crew

ahhhhh "those were the days "

Tommy the T

[happy daze john in oz]

Have a Christmas/New Year cruise booked with P&O and recieved the final account the other day. We have been given an onboard spending credit of $200 with a note that 'Gratuities not applicable'. On asking what had changed I was informed that so many here in Oz did not want to pay gratuities as it is not part of the Oz culture, the company has now included the gratuities in the cost of the fare.

[robpage]

How can it be a Gratuity , if it is part of the Fare it comes from probably from Latin grtutus, voluntary , if it is part of the fare , it is not given freely . They should list is as catering department wages , if they are honest !

[Kevin Mercer]

All this talk of tips and wealthy Americans is giving me the gripp ! I have a trip booked in August on the MS Noordam of the Holland-America line, just a run round the Western Med. I would'nt normally be able to afford a cruise but my brother who lives in L.A. got us a deal for one third the price! But since this ship gets most of her bookings from the States I am going to be surrounded by American passengers,chucking money all over.I will soon be known as the tight fisted Limey I think. I don't object to tipping as such but it has got out of hand, it's compulsory in the States. When we visited my brother for a holiday in LA 20 yrs ago he was giving 15% tips minimum every where we ate. Holy cow !
It's one bell, I have to go.
Kevin