Tips pooled?

[lysolqn]

Just read on another board that tips are pooled by the dining room staff and the cabin staff, thereby taking care of those who get stiffed or under-tipped. Sort of takes the wind out of your sails (no pun intended!) with respect to giving more than the suggested amount to reward excellent service since the person whom you intend to reward doesn't really reap the benefit of your generosity. Does anyone have any information re this "pooling" policy?

 

[mikesteg]

This all seems to be rumour and speculation. The claim is that the "recommended" gratuities are pooled, but the individual gets to keep any cash as long as the individual tip is left on the ship board charge.

This doesn't make much sense to me (not to say that a large corporation wouldn't implement it anyway). Servers are going to get stiffed because:
(1) Cheap passengers
(2) Lousy service

In case #1, servers are likely to get stiffed about equally.
In case #2, it is a good thing. Bad servers will make less and get better or quit.

Of course, pooled tips would allow some other people who aren't customer facing but support those people to participate.

Honestly though, I half supect that this is just another sob story that the servers have come up with to try to get larger tips. They do have you write your cabin number on the envelop for any additional tips (at least on Princess), which would suggest the pooling is actually happening. I don't think we'll ever know though: you can't 100% trust the person who stands to gain an extra tip, and corporate will never disclose their internal policies.

Mike

 

[randy]

I don't know about pooling tips, but I do remember years ago on our first Celebrity cruise seeing an envelope marked, "Chief Housekeeper." When we asked our steward about this "person" (as we had never tipped, seen, nor heard of such a position on any other line), she told us that the steward would have to come across with the 75 cents a day out of her tip if it wasn't provided by the passengers. Don't know if that was local extortion, or the line's policy. Needless to say, we weren't going to go broke for providing someone $5.25 per person (less for kids, ROTFLMAO!!), paid it and have done so since. If the tips are pooled, then such an arrangement would not have been in place. Perhaps on lines where they "...charge your shipboard account $10 per person per day, 'for your convenience,' " some kind of system comes into play where everyone gets a pro-rata share of the action. Personally, I eschew such practices. Just my two cents (per person, per day, regardless of age)!

 

[mikesteg]

That is just crazy. Even on a small ship this would be a huge amount of money. On a large ship (2000 pax) this would be over 1/2 a million dollars a year. Does the "chief housekeeper" have to buy the cleaning supplies or what? Sure it is a "management" job, but sign me up! My job is a PITA, doesn't (quite) pay $550k, and I don't get to live on a cruise ship.

This same thing is on the website, which also recommends $.75 for the assistance maitre'd... I guess they must pay the maitre'd because he doesn't get a tip??? I do think there is more than 1 ass't maitre'd (and there may very well be more than 1 "chief housekeeper") be even dividing it 10 ways is a pretty good deal for an assistant.


You are right though, this probably is a reason for the pooling of tips. I also don't agree with this (or with the whole "tips are your salary" deal) but I guess we don't have much option if we want to continue cruising.

 

[Paul Cohen]

One of our biggest decisions on the cruise is how much to tip, i want to give more and wife wants to give the minimum. So we compromise but the recommended is too low for the really good servers. I know I would not want to do their job and what they do with the any extra we will never know.

 

[Ted_D]

I'm with you, Paul. More often than not we get superb service rendered by poeple from third world countries supporting folks back home by working 14 hour days, seven days a week. I don't begrudge
them.

 

[glanders]

I just got off a Celebrity 2-week and actually asked this of the staff. Cabin staff said they keep everything they get. They do have to share with their assistant, but they did not say how much. I assumed cocktaile staff pooled their tips, but I was told by two cocktail waiters that the 15% automatic bar charge is theirs to keep - that explains why some are more aggressive than others. Celebrity makes it very clear that the Assistant Housekeeper gratuity is pooled and shared among the staff who do not get tips directly - public area cleaners, room service waiters, etc. I was also told by our Butler in 2001 that they are paid only $25 per week. I assumed it was low, but I didn't assume that low.

 

[daysatsea]

The chief housekeeper is like an asst. maitr'd. There are many chief housekeepers each over a certain number of stewards. The head housekeeper is a management job - similar to the maitr'd. .

 

[BSeabob]

just off a short Infinity 6 dayer, Used the "Easy way" and found all the staff perfectly happy with it. Have yet to find someone I would not wish to tip because of poor service.
After often finding it difficlt to get the correct bills in the past we have used this option for the last few times and its just all lot simpler for everyone.
X gives you envelopes with everyones name (title) on it with a little card inside that says you have participated in the program and you may give them to each of your servers/room staff ..if you wish. I'm sure some of us add a bit at that time to those that have really earned something extra.