HAL' tipping policy

[komkee]

I've read here that there's been a change. I'd much rather tip someone in person. Is it true I can take myself off the automatic tip list? Are there any repurcussions? Don't get me wrong, I love to tip, but for jobs well done and I like to see where my money goes!
Thanks

[komkee]

I've read here that there's been a change. I'd much rather tip someone in person. Is it true I can take myself off the automatic tip list? Are there any repurcussions? Don't get me wrong, I love to tip, but for jobs well done and I like to see where my money goes!
Thanks

[NancyN]

Yes, the tipping policy on HAL has been changed and YES you can remove yourself from automatic pre-paid gratuities option. Just go to the pursers desk and ask the charge be removed from your account as you prefer to pay personally. There should be no repercussions from such action.
Nancy

Maybe there is a cultural difference here but I cannot wrap my head around the concept of "I love to tip" as komkee puts it.

I do not need to display my affluence or superiority by donating money to service industry staff - I just wish that they were paid a fair wage for their work. But I do not regard it as my responsibility to subsidise them for the short comings of their employers personnel policies.

I know the old arguements re cruising have always been that the cruise lines are keeping the base fare low by such practices but have a look at what NCL are introducing (which will no doubt flow on across the board). A mandatory $10 per person per day "service charge" with no statement that it is going to the staff!!

In my more cynical moments, I can forsee a time where the actual cruise costs nothing but the final bill for food, drink & "service" runs into several hundred dollars a day per person.

Has anyone any ideas as to how to stop this madness?

Dave

[komkee]

Not knowing where you are from, Dave, but I live in the United States and we tip all service personnel here. I don't like not knowing where my money goes. But, another question.... if there are people who take themselves off the auto list and tip themselves, is the staff aware? I'm reading that the auto tip thing is optional and that people are getting poor service when they participate.... How does the staff know the difference?

[komkee]

By the by, I don't think tipping shows anyone's affluence or superiority. I think it just shows appreciation.

[Suzi]

Komkee,
I totally agree. Having been in the service industry for a short while, I know how much tips are appreciated. Interestingly on a recent trip to Europe, although I had been led to believe that Europeans do not tip on a regular basis and service staff do not have the same "American" expectation. It was not true! In fact, I found many establishments automatically included a tip in the bill and since there was a language and currency barrier - it was not always easy to discern. Thus, on numerous occassions someone in our group ended up overtipping.
Suzi

[Karen Knowlton]

That does seem to be a common occurrence in Europe - adding the gratuities to the bill. Speaking of tips being appreciated - years ago, my husband and I were in Spain, and ate in a small restaurant that catered to locals (very few tourists or American military personnel ate there.) We left a (very) small tip, having heard the same thing about European expectations. A week or two later, we ate there again and the management - and wait staff - fell all over us. They couldn't do enough for us! My guess is, the locals didn't tip at all, so even our small one was greatly appreciated. And of course, this was a long time ago!