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Cruise giant to review on board tipping for Brits
Wednesday, 09 Oct, 2009
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A major US cruise line is considering an overhaul of its on board tipping arrangements due to the reluctance of British passengers to pay gratuities to staff.
Royal Caribbean International vice president and UK managing director Robin Shaw disclosed that the payment of gratuities to renumerate cruise ship employees had become a “significant issue”.
Speaking at the first Cruise Forum as part of the ABTA Travel Convention in Barcelona, Shaw said the company was experiencing a “huge cultural difference” between US passengers who are used to tipping for service and those from the UK who are not.
He admitted that cruise ship staff received far less tips when British passengers are on board.
This comes at a time when the company is committing one of its largest ships, Independence of the Seas, to year-round ex-UK sailings from the end of next year and introducing the first summer season of Celebrity Cruises’ departures from Southampton on new ship Celebrity Eclipse in 2010.
Addressing the issue of paying gratuities – seen by UK consumers as a negative to taking a cruise – Shaw said: “We are evaluating what our options can be in the UK. This is certainly a challenge for us and one we have to address.”
His comments came as part of a wider discussion on add-ons cruise companies charge on top of the holiday price for items such as speciality restaurant meals and other extras.
Shaw said it was almost impossible to cost everything into the up front price, but it was a “commercial reality” that on board revenue was a key component for cruise lines to recover their return on investment .
Journalist Jane Archer, cruise writer for the Daily Telegraph, had pinpointed gratuities and on board add-ons as among the “turn-offs” for cruise passengers, saying that there was a perception that people were paying for more things as lines added optional extras to new ships.
She described cruise line tipping polices as “antiquated” and something that can lead to resentment and upset amongst travellers.
by Phil Davies
Phil Davies
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