pre-paid gratuities for spa treatments????

[ThePicketts]

Nothing is to stop them. They set their policy. They state it very plainly and you can choose to pay for the service along with auto gratuity or not. I don't see a real value in their pedicures so I get one before I leave from my regular person. That MY choice (they charge auto gratuity also). I have a friend that refuses to pay the cost of a massage in a spa on vacation so she always takes one extra day of vacation after she returns and gets a massage at home. It costs less and that is her choice as well.

They are already a very expensive cruise line. What's to stop them from doubling their cruise rates? Nothing. I look at the itinerary, the cost, and weigh the pros and cons and decide whether to cruise with them or whether to cruise with another line. My choice. No one can take that choice away from me.

Isn't gratuity all about choice too? Maybe the government should no longer call it taxation but prepaid gratuity for our liberty.

 

[FJS961]

Isn't gratuity all about choice too? Maybe the government should no longer call it taxation but prepaid gratuity for our liberty.

For your convenience, of course

 

[disneyfan888]

The reasoning that this will reduce the hard sell isn't really sound. If people were saying they were going to withhold a tip if they were given the hard sell caused this, it will if anything only make them MORE likely to do the hard sell as they're now going to get the tip regardless.

That is the point I was trying to make. Now they can keep pushing those products and it does not matter because their tip is guaranteed. Which is why I don't understand how some folks believe that this new policy may diminish the hard sales, if only it makes it worse, they have nothing to lose.

And some folks are saying they don't get what the big deal and that is fine not everyone is going to react in the same manner, but the big deal is I should not be forced to leave a tip. I always tip and have left more than 20% on occasions, but now that recognition is lost, it means nothing. Again a tip should not be forced and just because some businesses are already using this policy does not make it ok. If I ever get another treatment again, I will only leave the automatic 18%, which is what I feel many people are going to do anyway if they get treatments. We know Disney is still going to make money and people are going to keep using the spa, but now they have forced people to not want to leave more than the 18% which will only affect the employees.

 

[ThePicketts]

Anyone want to speculate that the spa techs get a reduction in their base base because of this?

 

[tajz90]

No one LIKES being told what to do I agree. But don't you run into pre paid gratuities in other areas? It happens all the time. I don't see why people are up in arms about it in a spa type setting but not in restaurants (usually when a group is larger than say 6 or so) or I've never seen these kind of threads posted about auto gratuities for bar bills? I guess I don't see why this particular service makes it so offensive.

No, I don't. I don't purchase drinks on the ship so I'm not getting the auto tip. It just irks me that possibly some people don't tip so I'm being punished. Still getting my massage, but because I'm being required to tip, the tip will be less than I normally tip. It's for my convince after all. Wouldn't want to hurt my fingers writing in the tip.

However, the auto gratuity for dining doesn't bother me at all.... We all HAVE to eat, but we all don't HAVE to use the spa.

 

[emilyann415]

Isn't gratuity all about choice too? Maybe the government should no longer call it taxation but prepaid gratuity for our liberty.

I understand your point. Really I do. It really isn't a tip anymore it's more like a surcharge. They could change the name I guess if that would really make people happy. Do you really think people wouldn't be on here complaining if the letter said they now included an 18% surcharge to cover the salary of the employee? My guess is not. And if that's the case, then IMO (and my opinion only) what a person is really mad about is the cost for the service (for me that includes the tip). I don't mean to insult or make people mad. It's a common occurrence anymore not just in DCLs spas.

 

[emilyann415]

No, I don't. I don't purchase drinks on the ship so I'm not getting the auto tip. It just irks me that possibly some people don't tip so I'm being punished. Still getting my massage, but because I'm being required to tip, the tip will be less than I normally tip. It's for my convince after all. Wouldn't want to hurt my fingers writing in the tip.

However, the auto gratuity for dining doesn't bother me at all.... We all HAVE to eat, but we all don't HAVE to use the spa.

How are you being punished? If you already tip, how are you being punished? How is the dining not MORE of an issue? You have to eat. You have no choice but to have the auto gratuity forced on you. Being in the spa is a luxury and certainly not necessary. You can easily avoid that. I just don't get that argument at all.

 

[tajz90]

How are you being punished? If you already tip, how are you being punished? How is the dining not MORE of an issue? You have to eat. You have no choice but to have the auto gratuity forced on you. Being in the spa is a luxury and certainly not necessary. You can easily avoid that. I just don't get that argument at all.

I don't get why you care how I feel I don't begrudge you yours

 

[emilyann415]

I don't get why you care how I feel I don't begrudge you yours

I simply don't understand it. That's all. I've never once told you you were wrong. I believe I've said that many times. Like I said, I live in a very rural part of America and we see this all the time so it simply confuses me why so much uproar. I guess I thought this a discussion board.....so I thought I was discussing.....

 

[RDP]

Tipping seems to be woven into the culture of cruising, so no surprise here. I won't pay the premium for massage on a cruise, I get the massage on land and put the money towards a cabana on castaway cay when on board. I suspect the ships will still fill all their appointment slots regardless, on the whole we are a captive market .

 

[Dug720]

To be clear, I was already thinking of canceling for several reasons...

1) I tend to burn easily, and if I get burned on the first part of our vacation or even the day in Nassau depending on what we do that day, I don't want someone rubbing all over me (or rolling warmed bamboo rods all over me, which is what I'd booked). And the chance exists that a burn could happen within the cancelation policy, making me have to pay for it regardless.

2) It would mean giving up the final two hours on Castaway Cay, and the more I thought about it, the more I wasn't sure I want to give that up.

3) I'm a runner, and I've heard a couple of horror stories of massages gone wrong where by some freak thing the runner ended up with a nerve injury (truly a freak, no-fault kind of thing). I've already missed some marathon training and I don't really want to risk it as I'm the type where if it could happen, it will to me.

4) (And this one just popped up yesterday before I read about the new surcharge...) I just started PT for plantar faciitis, and part of that includes a DEEP tissue massage on my calf and I was literally biting on a towel and trying not to kick my therapist. It wasn't pleasant, and the thought of doing that for "pleasure"...uh, no.

So the surcharge was just a tiny little straw on top of an already loaded camel's back. NOT the primary reason for me canceling.

 

[tajz90]

I simply don't understand it. That's all. I've never once told you you were wrong. I believe I've said that many times. Like I said, I live in a very rural part of America and we see this all the time so it simply confuses me why so much uproar. I guess I thought this a discussion board.....so I thought I was discussing.....

We live in a small town and we don't have auto tipping. I do have issue with it, but no so much that I plan on not using the service. I don't plan on canceling my massage. I can go on to explain how we, as Americans, pay a lot for those who won't pay their own bills and then explain that I don't really want those who won't do the right thing trickling down to my vacation "wants" making it a rule that I have to tip. I tip. I tip better than 18% because quite frankly I wouldn't want to touch a perfect stranger and they are doing a great service of making me nice and relaxed, but I don't want to be told I have to tip 18%.


If all that is true then I am being punished for those who will not do the right, nice, proper thing of tipping.

I wanted to add smiley faces.... No offense

 

[RDP]

FYI senses at the Grand Floridian Automaticaly adds 20%. ( for our convenience )

 

[emilyann415]

We live in a small town and we don't have auto tipping. I do have issue with it, but no so much that I plan on not using the service. I don't plan on canceling my massage. I can go on to explain how we, as Americans, pay a lot for those who won't pay their own bills and then explain that I don't really want those who won't do the right thing trickling down to my vacation "wants" making it a rule that I have to tip. I tip. I tip better than 18% because quite frankly I wouldn't want to touch a perfect stranger and they are doing a great service of making me nice and relaxed, but I don't want to be told I have to tip 18%.


If all that is true then I am being punished for those who will not do the right, nice, proper thing of tipping.

I really was not trying to attack you. You remind me of my sister actually. We are on two very different sides of EVERYTHING. But I still think of her as my dearest and best of friends. She just makes no sense to me I guess I see tipping as required and so perhaps that's were my thinking gets muddled. I need to tip them something (especially as you put it for touching a perfect stranger for an hour or better!) and so I don't really think of it as a choice. I just do it regardless and have never had such bad service that I would tip anything less than 18%. I personally don't feel I'm being punished because it's what should be done. I guess I look at it as a way to make others do the right thing they weren't doing before. That's what I was trying to say I guess. Sorry for any hurt feelings.

 

[tajz90]

I really was not trying to attack you. You remind me of my sister actually. We are on two very different sides of EVERYTHING. But I still think of her as my dearest and best of friends. She just makes no sense to me I guess I see tipping as required and so perhaps that's were my thinking gets muddled. I need to tip them something (especially as you put it for touching a perfect stranger for an hour or better!) and so I don't really think of it as a choice. I just do it regardless and have never had such bad service that I would tip anything less than 18%. I personally don't feel I'm being punished because it's what should be done. I guess I look at it as a way to make others do the right thing they weren't doing before. That's what I was trying to say I guess. Sorry for any hurt feelings.

Ha! I get it!!! no hurt feelings here!

Sorry I was defensive.

I tip. Now I'll only tip 18% even though my last massage was from a man from Romania. He spoke like a vampire and my back didn't hurt for 6 months after the massage. It was terrific. Him.... I'd probably tip him more.

 

[lbgraves]

When the tip isn't charged automatically, there is still the sense that the person giving the service still needs to EARN their tip. If I am not happy with a haircut, I am certainly not going to want to be forced to tip 18%. That would add insult to the injury. The massage tech also no longer has the motivation to do a good job because they are going to get 18% regardless. That is what I have an issue with. If I am happy with the service, I tip. If not happy, not as much of a tip

 

[elemusing]

wow -this must be really new. I got off the Fantasy last Saturday and the tip for massages was not automatically added.

 

[disneyfan888]

When the tip isn't charged automatically, there is still the sense that the person giving the service still needs to EARN their tip. If I am not happy with a haircut, I am certainly not going to want to be forced to tip 18%. That would add insult to the injury. The massage tech also no longer has the motivation to do a good job because they are going to get 18% regardless. That is what I have an issue with. If I am happy with the service, I tip. If not happy, not as much of a tip

Exactly. Agree 100%

 

[lbgraves]

wow -this must be really new. I got off the Fantasy last Saturday and the tip for massages was not automatically added.

I asked my TA if she had heard anything about this yet to confirm if the RF would be increased with a tip of any kind. She hadn't heard about it so called DCL. They told her effective June 28, 2013, all spa and spa services will now include an automatic 18% gratuity. This does not apply to the Rainforest room passes and does include salon and fitness charges.

 

[MrsScooby]

When the tip isn't charged automatically, there is still the sense that the person giving the service still needs to EARN their tip. If I am not happy with a haircut, I am certainly not going to want to be forced to tip 18%. That would add insult to the injury. The massage tech also no longer has the motivation to do a good job because they are going to get 18% regardless. That is what I have an issue with. If I am happy with the service, I tip. If not happy, not as much of a tip

I know for me I like the sense of control I have when the tip is left to me.
I tip the suggested/expected when the service is as expected.
I like having the control to adjust it up or down depending on the type of service I get.

Taking away that control, basically tells me that my opinion doesn't matter and the person giving the service doesn't need to care about my satisfaction.

As for the dining rooms, we still have some measure of control because we can go down to guest services and adjust if we want to. You can't do that with the spa or salon.

For me its an annoyance and I am less inclined to use their services.

Also, if they think they can do a hard sell with me on products now that they don't have to worry about their tip...that would be a big mistake on their part. Push me too hard and I just get mean