One of the most important people behind the running of Carnival Cruise Line has spoken out on the company's tipping policy after a customer complained over its stance.
Belonging to the world's largest cruising company Carnival Corporation & plc, Carnival Cruise Line is the firm's largest individual subsidiary brand as and such, sees more passengers than any other under the business umbrella.
And a result, it looks after millions of passengers every single year on their cruise holidays around the world. As a result, the issue of tipping is one that many will encounter. And the question is, should you or shouldn't you?
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Carnival Cruise Line tipping policy
Also known as service gratuities, these are nowadays included as an additional option on top of your holiday cost.
"It is customary for our guests to extend gratuities to the shipboard staff in appreciation for their hard work and exceptional service," Carnival writes on its website.
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"100% of your gratuities are distributed to the crew who you interact with, such as your stateroom attendants, dining and culinary services staff, as well as other members of the onboard team who work behind the scenes to enhance your overall cruise experience. Applying this charge automatically streamlines the recognition process and ensures our crew will share in your generosity."
Standard Staterooms have a $16 per person, per day rate while Suite Staterooms are $18 per person, per day.
These can be paid in advance or via a final bill sent to your cabin at the end of your holiday.
Complaint about tipping and the response
"Why do you keep guilting us into tipping the crew," one customer emailed Carnival's Brand Ambassador and senior cruise director, John Heald, with him sharing the message to his cruising community on Facebook.
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"Pay them a proper salary like hotel workers in the United States. Carnival customers should not have to pay extra for people just doing their job. I don’t get tipped for just doing my job."
It's an age old issue that always splits opinion. In some places, it is actually considered rude to tip for service, so you can forgive people for being a little confused over it all.
Responding, Health tried his best to bring the conversation down to a level that the customer might resonate with. He said: "I thanked her for her opinion, explained tipping was a personal choice and wished her a wonderful cruise hoping that she would appreciate the brilliant service.
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"And I admit to all of you that as I posted my response I did channel my inner Home Alone and in my best Macaulay Culkin whispered, 'Merry Christmas you filthy animal'. Oops."
He didn't stop there though, and explained the situation a little bit more to his followers.
"At this time of year there are the Christmas dilemmas," he said. "I give a tip to the postman and then start thinking about do I give an extra Christmas tip to the Deliveroo or Just Eat person who brings our Chinese delivery once in a while.
"Anyway, I was very nice to this lady although I wish I had added, 'if someone performs a service that spares you the peculiar horror of cooking, cleaning and bringing you fabulous holiday fun this Christmas time then, goodness knows, they deserves a little something to say thank you, surely?'.
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"Anyway, to all the thousands of crew who will be working extra hard this week, and are away from the ones they love, please let me say to all of you, thank you. I wish you and your families a happy Christmas and a wonderful holiday season."
'What a joy this person is'
Many in Heald's community agreed with the concept of personally rewarding those who do a good job in the service industry.
"On the subject of tipping I believe if you are given good service, that a crew member does for you, then they certainly do deserve a tip and as far as I can see they work very hard every day," one said.
Another wrote: "The employees deserve it and extra. They work hard to make trip exciting and safe for everyone."
And a third added: "If you’re guilted into tipping… then don’t! It’s not because you appreciate the beautiful people who give up so much (like their families) to provide you and yours with exceptional service on your holiday!
"What a joy this person must be to deal with?"
Topics: Cruise Ship, Money, Travel, Holiday, US News, World News, Tipping, Christmas
Tom Earnshaw