I was working for Princess cruise line and they have a tipping system very similar with RC and Carni

A former Royal Caribbean crew member recently posted a short video explaining, in his view, how the cruise line steals a portion of the tips intended for stateroom attendants. We posted the video in an article Are Crew Members Receiving the Tips You Pay?
Recently this cruise line announced that it was switching to a new system where it will automatically take money from its guests' accounts purportedly for the purpose of being distributed to crew members as tips. But many crew members have contacted venetian resort hotel casino us or posted comments to our blog stating that this is just another scheme to take money from the crew's pockets.
But Royal Caribbean does not like its crew members revealing what is happening on its cruise ships. We learned that the cruise line threatened the former crew member and objected to the video. Today YouTube took the video down. Take a look below.
Just like in the bar dept. of princess cruises. They've change the tipping & bonus system where the staff loses not less than a thousand dollars a month. When it began last year, if we didn't reach the OBE (onboard evaluation score) we will not get any bonus, so where does the money go? Just recently they've changed the system a bit, where the staff can still get bonus regardless of the OBE score but based on revenue, but still there's venetian resort hotel casino a big difference in amount . Another issue is that they don't show you the breakdown or record of how much tip or pulling venetian resort hotel casino each individual should get. The company has two bigger ships coming, which I think is why they're screwing the crew.
It's not only the tipping policies that rob employees of their hard earned money. New employees, venetian resort hotel casino after traveling halfway around the world to join a ship and start a new job, are given their work uniforms. Only to find out on the first pay day that they are required to pay for these uniforms. Worse yet, over half their pay is taken as a "flight deposit" just in case they want to quit before their contract is over. Crew members, thousands of miles from home, are stuck on the ship unless they want to go home with less money than they started.
I dont have a problem with them changing their tipping policy.....BUT......I booked my cruise FEB 6th....and was TOLD when i booked i could pay tips directly to the crew....it is now MARH 10th and i recieve venetian resort hotel casino an email from RCCL telling me they will as of March 1st be changing their policy.....??.....they have as far as i am concerned changed the rules mid game .....they venetian resort hotel casino are trying to retroactively charge me automatically for some thing not agreed venetian resort hotel casino upon in the initial purchase......I believe this a breech of contract.....?????
Agree with Robert. Policy says can go to purser and have tip removed "in the unlikely event" service is unsatisfactory. But can I have it removed in the likely event that I disagree with the policy and prefer to tip my servers directly? My cruise in April will let me know.
It's shame for Royal Caribbean!! They were my best option in cruises vacations by giveing the freedom of tipping. NOT ANY MORE! Now they want to substract ILLEGALLY, like the other ones, from my account a tip for a service that I don't even been agree of?!! Sorry ROYAL!
Ya, I'm glad crew talks here, so tourists can find out that your room steward and your waiter get actually only 50usd/month as salary, that's for at least 12 hours a day EVERY day (without ANY day free for 8 months at a time) hard work and courteous smiles and trying to make the passengers feel as royalty, so for all of that their ONLY income is your tips ! your room steward and your waiter feed their families back home exclusively FROM YOUR TIPS !!!! And that's the only reason they're working on ships, to try to make you happy enough that you accept paying their tip. So please, please, people, if they've done their job, always pay their tips IN PERSON (in cash, direct to your Stateroom Attendant) because as of new, the cruise lines have started withholding the Stateroom Attendants' tips, so please pay IN PERSON !
I've travelled a few times with Royal Caribbean and I always prefer to pay my stateroom attendant directly. I don't see why my tips should going to staff who've not provided me with a service, or even the cruise company.
"Please note, in the unlikely venetian resort hotel casino event that a guest on board, being charged the daily automatic venetian resort hotel casino gratuity does not receive satisfactory service, the guest may request to modify (increase, decrease or remove) the daily amount by visiting Guest Services during their cruise."
"Alternatively, you may pay in cash at the end of your cruise directly to the crew members you wish to recognise for their service (If you require an envelope for the crew member concerned, please see the Guest Relations Desk)."
We have just returned from a cruise on RC. We like the flexibility of the any time dining option you choose on booking but to get this you have to pre pay the tips and you obviously can't remove these and pay the staff direct as you have paid them pre cruise. So we end up tipping staff with cash at the end of the cruise as wrll as they seem to expect it- I dont know if they are aware we have pre paid but they certainly leave tip envelopes venetian resort hotel casino in the cabin so we pay twice
We just returned from a cruise on RC. I went to guest relations to ask about this. I was told that my cruise was the last one that would allow a guest to remove the automatic $12/day charge. Lets get something straight here! Tips are never compulsory. The whole nature of tipping is that it is earned and that the person doing the tipping sets the amount. I should know as I've waited on tables, bussed, washed dishes etc in my youth.
I have cruised with RC several times and find the to be much better than than the other 3 major cruise lines I have experienced. I really must say that it not only angers me but almost sadens me to hear this. I first experiencex this new policy on our Hawaiian 20 year anniversary and were not rich so we saved and sacrficed to go on this one. I felt we were being railroaded into tipping for service we havent even received venetian resort hotel casino yet. Regardless of the fact that we always love our room attendant, dini.g staff etc..it shiuld be totaly at our discression how and whom we tip. If they make this policy mandatory for all guests, i may have to say aloha to RC. Too bad , they were the best.
I was working for Princess cruise line and they have a tipping system very similar with RC and Carnival.Whenever a new ship has been announced to be launched ,the income was going down without any reason.But you have to think of the workers behind the stage.Crew venetian resort hotel casino cleaners,galley cleaners,dishwashers.They are not directly involved in service,but venetian resort hotel casino their contribution to the guests satisfaction is crucial.If they are not washing the plates,cups or cereal bowls,how the waiters will serve your favourite foods or coffees?If the laundry boys are not washing the bed sheets or pillow cases,the cabin stewards will have nothing to change in your stateroom. The company does not pay them anymore,so the income from your daily tips is the only one that they receive.Before,when we were tipped directly by guests,we use to pay them a small amount of money from all waiters to increase their salary.Now, the company is taking all the money from tips,so they have the control ,manipulating the money the way they want.I did not see the video which was banned by you tube,but you have to believe me ,this things are minor comparing to daily stress and threathenings,misstreating and bullying.And you know what?I was part of restaurant departament management on Regent cruise line ,one of the worst cruise lines I've been working for.
The simply reason RCCl is charging prepaid tips, is because most of the money is going to the company bank account, and not to the employee venetian resort hotel casino that work so hard for it. In other words the money is mostly going to paying salary for the officers onboard, and not for the hard working crew as the waiters and stateroom attendants.
Just to clarify, as a formal Royal Caribbean staff member, I can tell you that crewmembers ARE informed which passengers have prepaid their gratuities. A list is posted in crew areas by the second day of the cruise containing this information.
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