When someone considers or book a cruise for the first time you have to pay gratuities on board by the service we provide onboard. It is a unique feature of the cruise industry, which promotes its American origin to apply this system of remuneration.
What's the tip? actually "tip" is not the most appropriate to define, since a Europeans (and many other nationalities) felt that a tip is a small prize for the waiter who is serving us term, provided that it has been particularly friendly, fast and effective . And not even a percentage of the total bill, but that is usually given with coins for change. As in Europe there is no concept of "to service the waiter aside consumption", no word that defines it properly. It has been used in many cases to the term "service fees".
In American society, it is common to pay for services in which it intervenes a person with "tips" (not a tip, a payment service that does not want to use the word), sometimes so disconcerting to a European. In USA you must pay tip (well, I'll use the word because I understand that you have already understood that it is a different concept) to taxi drivers for example, buttons hotels to the trunks of the cruise ports, the waiters unless certain restaurants that the ticket says "Service included" hairdressers / ace, the dealer casino .... generally anyone who provides a personal service. In the restaurant, 15% of the total bill is customary.
In many cruise companies, workers have a salary of $ 50. Yes, more or less € 40, you've read it correctly. In many US states it is perfectly legal this type of contract in professions that will be paid with tips. When it comes to pay taxes on the salary, the amount received is added in tips to reach the allowed minimum wage of $ 7.25 an hour. Obviously when the tips are substantial there is a part that is not declared, but that's another problem.
Flagged cruise in European countries the minimum wage is much higher, about 600 €, but is supplemented by the service fees we pay passengers up to the 2000 to 2500 € to win a main dining room waiter. Yes, it's a good salary, but remember to work every day (no Sunday rest, only certain hours each day), and many hours a day, and time away from their loved ones.
So really, the tips on many cruises are the wages of workers, not an extra on his salary.
On cruises tips can be up to € 14 daily, because there are 4 categories of employees who pay.
Traditionally the shipping you left 4 envelopes in your cabin for you, on the final night of the cruise, repartieses envelopes with tips directly to staff. With the popularization of cruises in countries where this is not usual, like Spain, cases of problems with the workers, who complained that many customers did not stop the mandatory tip was given. Especially bleeding was the case of the Spanish shipping companies, which applied the same model and workers, many of them experienced in other shipping companies, they did not want to work more on the company because they did not receive the usual amount in these positions.
So it was introduced first and then applied Pullmantur other companies, prepaid gratuities, either in the travel agency, as well as automatic charge to your expense account as you step on the cruise.
In the case of American shipping, prepayment tip is usually done in the travel agency, and once on board, together with the envelopes let you coupons to the value of tip if you want to deliver it personally to the waiter (usually with an extra ticket, this if, European style tip-award).
In the case of Spanish or more European-oriented shipping the "service fees" are charged to the cost of the cruise, which will end up paying for them with the credit card associated with spending on drinks, excursions, etc.
What if I think the service has been disastrous? in case of a very bad experience with the service, you can go to the customer service desk of the cruise and request cancellation of tipping over. This will surely involve a "warning" to the crew involved. At 3 notices they are to the street.
There are websites that provide information on the possibility of canceling PARAahorrarse trick tips as money. Now you know you're playing with people's work, and tips for canceling system, only you contribute to your Spanish or nationality cruisers are seen as undesirable on that boat and also receive worse treatment. The fish that bites the tail.
Faced with this abuse, currently some shipping companies have chosen to name this concept as "service fee" and can not be overridden, ie, abuses have harmed everyone and what could be claimed before not now. In our opinion, if so, it should be a concept included in the cruise price. Will you go this certainty in salary that will charge the crew to the detriment of the quality of service?
