Nathan
I believe you hit the nail on the head when you said this is probably a way to try to get those deadbeats that can afford to cruise but won't leave a stinking tip for services rendered. These services are for the most part above and beyond the call of duty.

It has been mentioned several times on this board that some people can spend upwards of thousands of dollars on a cruise, drinks and excursions but bach at giving someone their due. Most of the rates that are suggested are well below what you would pay to eat out at a good restaurant, but some people still refuse.

I had mentioned on an earlier post that I was leary of this process as I was not sure that the cruise lines wouldn't skim off a little for a processing fee of some sort. After reading all of the posts about travellers seeing their tablemates not showing up for the final dinner on numerous cruise lines I had to rethink the validity of doing this.

Although I like to personally give the tip, I think that this is a good idea.

Shameonthenontippers

Were you given a chit/voucher for you to give to the waiters and room stewards etc.

Shadesofnewways

quote:

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Originally posted by gohaze:
You're right about that Malcolm...Brits are lousy tippers, we've even heard them boasting about it on more than one occasion.
But tell us...what happened with the vouchers you didn't use? Did you get a refund for them?
...peter

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Tipping is not really a big part of our culture. I personally think it is silly.
We are expected to tip a Cab driver for example, who probably earn a fortune in London, but not a Teacher or Nurse who are very poorly paid in the UK.

Few Brits would tip a bar-person in a Pub. OK you might just buy him/her a drink, if you knew them well, but a cash tip would be very rare! Hence, bar staff would get paid reasonable wages because we don't tip.

For food, few Brits would give more than 10%, 15% as an absolute maximum. But when you see our little portions of food and poor service we often get, they don't deserve 10%. If we want a slice of bread, or a tiny Salad, we pay extra. If we want a coffee refill, we pay.

With Celebrity, we had vouchers for the steward and waiter. If you did not use them, there was no refund. You will be pleased to know Peter, we gave all our vouchures, and also purchased gifts for our waiter and steward.

I supect that cost of our Celebrity Cruise was a lot more even though it included tips, than the Americans would pay, even after they had tipped!

It happened to us once as a percentage surcharge (I don't recall the ship or the percentage). Was convenient but less personal.

If they are going to charge the tips to our shipboard account (or prepay through the TA), they shouldn't leave envelopes in the cabins. Should be one way or the other.

We've been on a couple Celebrity cruises where they "suggested" an amount to tip the "head housekeeper," who we never saw. Not even sure he or she existed.

I wouldn't be surprised if the main thrust behind the pre-tipping is the freestyle and alternative dining which the cruise lines instituted I'm sure at the request of many cheap guests. In this case, who knows if you stiffed everyone. This way you at least have to go to the purser's desk and own up to the fact that you are probably a cheap S.O.B. that dosen't want to tip anyone so you can save some money on your $2000 cruise.

Calculate the tip into your travel plans. Make it a conscious part of your cruise expense. Part of the fare. That is what it will become if everyone dosen't.

Malcolm. If it not part of your culture and apparently not part of the culture down under then the cruise lines should just add $100 per week per passenger, regardless of age, to all of the pax that come from England or other parts of the world that say their culture does not tip.

Everyone else has the option of paying a reasonable tip.

Remember that you folks said that your cultures DON'T tip.

Let'shearitfolks.

Peter

[This message has been edited by CTrail (edited 02-08-2001).]