Couple more questions... HAL's new tipping policy.

I have found in the past some passengers did not tip on holland america.They
confused the "tipping is not required"(which is the same in most
restaurants-but most of us tip) with "Gratuities included" I also find that
$10.00 a day is less than I usually tip.
I have returned from a recent cruise and I left the $10.00 a day on my bill
and gave crew I felt were very good extra cash.
I believe that the crew in the past did give money to the dishwasher and
other personnel---I bvelieve that this new policy is better-It illiminates
having to scramble for cash on the last night and the crew- knows that they
will get a minimun tip--There will still be passengers who will have the money
removed from their bill and still not tip appropriately.
I do agree that it would be better to raise the price of cruise and have
gratuities included--but, I imagine many people would not book--otherwise-
their would not be these complaints.
Many other cruise lines have had this policy in place.

I have found in the past some passengers did not tip on holland america.They
confused the "tipping is not required"(which is the same in most
restaurants-but most of us tip) with "Gratuities included" I also find that
$10.00 a day is less than I usually tip.
I have returned from a recent cruise and I left the $10.00 a day on my bill
and gave crew I felt were very good extra cash.
I believe that the crew in the past did give money to the dishwasher and
other personnel---I bvelieve that this new policy is better-It illiminates
having to scramble for cash on the last night and the crew- knows that they
will get a minimun tip--There will still be passengers who will have the money
removed from their bill and still not tip appropriately.
I do agree that it would be better to raise the price of cruise and have
gratuities included--but, I imagine many people would not book--otherwise-
their would not be these complaints.
Many other cruise lines have had this policy in place.

I have found in the past some passengers did not tip on holland america.They
confused the "tipping is not required"(which is the same in most
restaurants-but most of us tip) with "Gratuities included" I also find that
$10.00 a day is less than I usually tip.
I have returned from a recent cruise and I left the $10.00 a day on my bill
and gave crew I felt were very good extra cash.
I believe that the crew in the past did give money to the dishwasher and
other personnel---I bvelieve that this new policy is better-It illiminates
having to scramble for cash on the last night and the crew- knows that they
will get a minimun tip--There will still be passengers who will have the money
removed from their bill and still not tip appropriately.
I do agree that it would be better to raise the price of cruise and have
gratuities included--but, I imagine many people would not book--otherwise-
their would not be these complaints.
Many other cruise lines have had this policy in place.

Grandma.... Sure you could argue dollars and cents, but if you have
people at, say your dining table that still tip their usual amount to
the waiter, (in spite of the extra charge added to their bill), your 5
bucks is going to look kind of cheapskatish in the eyes of the waiter as
compared to his 50.
Don't think it can happen? Well, we've given many a hotel room service
individual an extra 5 bucks in spite of fact that we're still well aware
that a 15% gratuity has already been added to our bill. (I bet the
deliverer doesn't even see that 15%)
....Old habits are tough to break. We're all used to the system, where
you "personally" tip for the services rendered. ...Having a fee tacked
on to a statement at the end of the cruise is not the same -- both for
you, and for your waiter/steward. ...Jon

Judy... I think using that -- "I thought we didn't have to tip on HAL"
is a lame excuse. Is this why the dining room is only 2/3 full on the
last nght? All these people that claimed they didn't know?? LOL
...I think that anyone that says: "Well I didn't tip, because I thought
we weren't supposed to", is full of crap. Listen...The ones that have
all the money coming out of their ears, are the ones that have brains
like Einstein for finding silly little money saving loop-holes like
this. We see it all the time in the camping business. A 500,000
thousand dollar-plus Motor Home wedged into a piddly 25' Provincial
campsite, because the individual can save 5 bucks over staying in a
private campsite. His excuse: "Well I didn't know there were other
campgrounds in the area." Yeah, right ...You can fool some of the
people some of ..... ...Jon

wrote:

Grandma.... Sure you could argue dollars and cents, but if you have
people at, say your dining table that still tip their usual amount to
the waiter, (in spite of the extra charge added to their bill), your 5
bucks is going to look kind of cheapskatish in the eyes of the waiter as
compared to his 50.

So what is it going to look like if I don't tip any extra at all -
just the $10/day? You don't think that doesn't happen?

Don't think it can happen? Well, we've given many a hotel room service
individual an extra 5 bucks in spite of fact that we're still well aware
that a 15% gratuity has already been added to our bill. (I bet the
deliverer doesn't even see that 15%)
...Old habits are tough to break. We're all used to the system, where
you "personally" tip for the services rendered. ...Having a fee tacked
on to a statement at the end of the cruise is not the same -- both for
you, and for your waiter/steward. ...Jon

So unless I spend a lot of money tipping double, I'm going to be a
cheapskate? I'm sorry, but I'm not going to do that just because some
people want to be big spenders.

If you really think that a waiter or room steward would not appreciate
a small amount extra, then I won't bother.


grandma Rosalie

wrote:

Grandma.... Sure you could argue dollars and cents, but if you have
people at, say your dining table that still tip their usual amount to
the waiter, (in spite of the extra charge added to their bill), your 5
bucks is going to look kind of cheapskatish in the eyes of the waiter as
compared to his 50.

So what is it going to look like if I don't tip any extra at all -
just the $10/day? You don't think that doesn't happen?

Don't think it can happen? Well, we've given many a hotel room service
individual an extra 5 bucks in spite of fact that we're still well aware
that a 15% gratuity has already been added to our bill. (I bet the
deliverer doesn't even see that 15%)
...Old habits are tough to break. We're all used to the system, where
you "personally" tip for the services rendered. ...Having a fee tacked
on to a statement at the end of the cruise is not the same -- both for
you, and for your waiter/steward. ...Jon

So unless I spend a lot of money tipping double, I'm going to be a
cheapskate? I'm sorry, but I'm not going to do that just because some
people want to be big spenders.

If you really think that a waiter or room steward would not appreciate
a small amount extra, then I won't bother.


grandma Rosalie

Rosalie B. wrote:

If you really think that a waiter or room steward would not appreciate
a small amount extra, then I won't bother.


Rosalie,

My husband and I always tip a small amount extra when we've gotten good
service and have automatic tipping. Not huge but a little. I ususally
give it to the server directly (that is the way ship tipping was set up) and
I say something like "I know our tips have been automatically taken out, but
I wanted you to have something extra for your wonderful service."

The recipient seems pleased. I don't think they think of us as cheapskates.

--
Julie
**********
Check out my Travel Pages (non-commercial) at
http://www.dragonsholm.org/travel.htm

Rosalie B. wrote:

If you really think that a waiter or room steward would not appreciate
a small amount extra, then I won't bother.


Rosalie,

My husband and I always tip a small amount extra when we've gotten good
service and have automatic tipping. Not huge but a little. I ususally
give it to the server directly (that is the way ship tipping was set up) and
I say something like "I know our tips have been automatically taken out, but
I wanted you to have something extra for your wonderful service."

The recipient seems pleased. I don't think they think of us as cheapskates.

--
Julie
**********
Check out my Travel Pages (non-commercial) at
http://www.dragonsholm.org/travel.htm

Hi Jean,

I think you said your Westerdam cruise was your first on HAL. They had just
instigated the new tipping recommendations at that time. As much as I hate
to agree with a certain person, HAL was the ONLY cruise line that did NOT
add a servive charge to the bar bills. Most reasonable people used to carry
several $1.00 bills around with them on the HAL cruises for the expressed
purpose of tipping the bar server ($1.00 each time), or they would search
their favorite bartender out on the last night and give them a tip. Of
course there were some freeloaders that NEVER tipped a bartender during the
whole cruise.

That is precicely why HAL changed their recommendations tipping.

Tobieon an Island in the Pacific

"Jean O'Boyle" wrote in message
...

wrote in message
...
Ok, Jean, but that is the "new policy" I mentioned in my post. ...All
my cokes from last March were a straight $1.75 -- total price charged..
..Jon

Odd, never had that happen to us on any cruise line...Princess, Carnival,
NCL, RCI etc, always listed it as 15% tip. Even when purchasing water from
the cabin steward or from the desk on the way off the ship, they added
that
amount as a tip or service charge.

--Jean