Mandatory Gratuities

#1 (**permalink**) January 18th, 2001, 01:06 PM

I just returned from a Renaissance Cruise (R4) in Tahiti. They too added $ 12.00 per person per day to my on board charge account. I found this amount totally eccessive, but what troubled me the most was that the service in the dining room (open seating) was at best mediocre and most of the time service was with a "I don't give a damn" attitude. Certainly not like the olden times when your assigned waiter and busboy would lean over backwards to serve you because he knew he would get a good tip. I just hope that the cruise lines come to realize that this is a very bad policy.

#2 (**permalink**) September 16th, 2002, 01:53 AM

Your comments are valid, but your logic is faulty. I agree that service on ships generally has gotten worse over the years.

But please read carefully: I hae worked on 18 ships for 11 different cruise liines over the past 27 years. The internal tipping policies have been the same on every ship - ALL TIPS WERE POOLED. Please read that last sentence again. Its important.

When you gave me an envelope of some cash, it didn`t stay in my pocket very long. As soon as the last passengers disembarked the ship, all the service staff met at the Captain`s table in the diningroom. We all put ALL cash tips on the table for counting. Then the Maitre d` split and handed the money out to EVERYONE, based on a complicated point system administered by him. Today with auto-tipping, the smae system is in place. The only difference is that most of the cash comes from the Purser`s office. We still pool ALL the money in EXACTLY THE SAME WAY. NOTHING HAS REALLY CHANGED. Please read those last two sentences again. They are important.

To repeat, we ALWAYS knew we would receive a tip regardless of service levels. We still do know today that we weill receive a tip regardless of service levels.

Now please explain to everyone how auto-tipping has damaged service levels.

Once again, I agree that service levels have generally deteriorated over the years (I also observe that the quality of guests has deteriorated at the same pace), bu tyoumay be blaming the wrong reasons for the problems that exist.