P&O increase gratuities.

[HLM 519]

Whilst P&O are able to exploit the overseas registration loophole to enable them to get away with paying as little as 75p an hour (2012 press reports ) it's pretty clear that some sort of top up is needed by someone. And if P&O won't pay a fair rate because they want to keep the brochure prices low it really has to be the passenger. Anyone ducking that responsibility by removing tips and pocketing them deserves nothing but contempt in my view. If you can afford to cruise you can afford to tip.

If as you say Doca that P&O / Carnival are paying as little as 75p an hour, I'd agree that they are exploiting their employees and that they are treating them with contempt, but come on, certainly not us the paying passenger.

If you feel that strongly vote with your feet, after all why would you continue to support a cruiseline that makes their crew work in these conditions for so little pay?

HLM.

[jezzer 1]

I see you've all been discussing the level of P & O's automatic tipping at £5.50 per person per day.  I've been told by a few crew members that a lot (if not most) of the onboard automatic tips are not reaching their pockets at all.  P & O have introduced a "Graduated Tips" system which means that if a cabin steward or waiter does not attain EXCELLENT on virtually all their feedback forms completed by us passengers then their tips are withheld.  For example, if a cabin steward gets 18 of his cabins marking her/him as EXCELLENT and the 19th cabin marks her/him as FAIR then she/he will not get any of the tips that have been authorised on her/his passengers' onboard accounts.  It's unclear as to where this money is going, with one crew member saying that she thought it was being distributed to those staff who did attain EXCELLENT by all their passengers.  Crew members who have told passengers about the system have been systematically sought out by P & O and dismissed.

 

I thought it only fair to share this information and if you're in doubt as to the authenticity of the facts see here http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/9683493.Row_over_tips_on_cruise_ships/?ref=rss I suggest at the very least we all start to give cash tips wherever possible in future.

[doca 60]

I see you've all been discussing the level of P & O's automatic tipping at £5.50 per person per day.  I've been told by a few crew members that a lot (if not most) of the onboard automatic tips are not reaching their pockets at all.  P & O have introduced a "Graduated Tips" system which means that if a cabin steward or waiter does not attain EXCELLENT on virtually all their feedback forms completed by us passengers then their tips are withheld. 

 

I've heard this too.  And it results in cabin staff begging passengers to mark them 'excellent'.  The only fair way to deal with all this would be for P&O to pay all their staff a fair wage - the UK minimum wage would at least be a starting point.

 

It would put cruise prices up (and probably P&O profits down) so it will never happen without a change in the law, but it would at least result in the removal of the current exploitation of staff by P&O.  Probably a further reason for removing the automated tips - so long as they do actually get passed on to the staff.

[Tally 392]

I see you've all been discussing the level of P & O's automatic tipping at £5.50 per person per day.  I've been told by a few crew members that a lot (if not most) of the onboard automatic tips are not reaching their pockets at all.  P & O have introduced a "Graduated Tips" system which means that if a cabin steward or waiter does not attain EXCELLENT on virtually all their feedback forms completed by us passengers then their tips are withheld.  For example, if a cabin steward gets 18 of his cabins marking her/him as EXCELLENT and the 19th cabin marks her/him as FAIR then she/he will not get any of the tips that have been authorised on her/his passengers' onboard accounts.  It's unclear as to where this money is going, with one crew member saying that she thought it was being distributed to those staff who did attain EXCELLENT by all their passengers.  Crew members who have told passengers about the system have been systematically sought out by P & O and dismissed.

 

I thought it only fair to share this information and if you're in doubt as to the authenticity of the facts see here http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/9683493.Row_over_tips_on_cruise_ships/?ref=rss I suggest at the very least we all start to give cash tips wherever possible in future.

Well, apart from the fact that the article you have given a link to, is actually 4 years old, I don't believe everything I read in a newspaper. I also think there are so many different  comments made to people by members of staff that I don't think any of us really knows what happens to the tips. I'm fed up with the whole debate and I really think P&O should bite the bullet and include the tips in the price of the cruise.