Dining staff not paid?

[jrabbit]

I've read many posts here about people not wanting to pay tips, removing tips, etc. There are some cultures where they just don't believe in tipping.

When I first starting cruising DCL, the gratuities were not automatically added to the bill. They were listed as a suggestion and it was standard to give the tip envelope at the last dinner. .... I have a feeling that lots of people were getting stiffed on those first Alaskan cruises when the final night was port time.

I have not read through the entire thread yet, but it was after the 2nd or 3rd time that the Magic cruised the Med when the "automatic gratuity" "program" started. With the ship home berthed in the Med for an extended period of time, and with more cruisers from European countries where tipping is NOT the norm (vs USA & CAN), the serving teams and room stewards were not getting normal amount of gratuities. Afterwards the automatic gratuities system was propagated throughout the fleet.

 

[jrabbit]

On one of our cruises I stepped out of our room at exactly the same time as a couple in the cabin next to ours. It was the last morning and we were both heading to guest services. They were giggling and talking about how best to get gratuities removed from their account. One of the two said 'tell them it ruined our whole vacation' and laughed even louder. I let them take the lead and get in line before me and continued to hear the giggling and how best to maybe 'get something'. When they got to a CM their very mood changed, all of a sudden they were serious and this was 'the worst vacation they ever had'. Remove all tips. They talked about how bad things were with the service all around. The CM asked if they had mentioned this to anyone before the end of the seventh day, that seemed to take them back a bit but they continued with their obviously made up story. She asked about the tip tickets but the couple made up some excuse about throwing them out. Poor CM had to show sympathy for things she could not have possibly believed. The long and the short of it is they took off the tips and were feeling pretty good with themselves. I got to follow them back to the cabins and listened to more giggling and back patting. The worst was, i would bet that they handed out the envelopes the night before and thanked the crew. I just don't understand how they would not have been embarrassed but they weren't. To each their own I guess.
And how many times does this happen on a sailing? I to wish they would build it into the cost of the cruise, not even show it in the breakdown. It just would be.

Too bad you didn't record them while walking to guest services and then play it back loudly while they were "explaining that their cruise was ruined"

 

[KashasMom]

Basically their wage pays for their room and board. Most of them send their tips home to family. We always tip extra because the service deserves it.

Their room and board is free.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Their room and board is free.

"free"

Realistically speaking, it's part of the comp plan.