Couple more questions... HAL's new tipping policy.

"Tobie Gerbrandt" wrote in message
news:LQvQc.16774$M95.6698@pd7tw1no...
Hi Jean,

I think you said your Westerdam cruise was your first on HAL. They had
just
instigated the new tipping recommendations at that time.
That is precicely why HAL changed their recommendations tipping.

Thanks, Tobie, I realize now how it was being done before our May and July
HAL cruises. Think it is better this way...It is more fair and you can
always tip your favorite bartender extra at the end of the cruise...if you
ever get to have a favorite one with so many bars on ships these days! ;-)

How is Jake doing? I assume he is holding his own or we would have heard
from you...That's great as the critical 24 hours have passed, have they not?

--Jean

"Zegarskis" wrote in message
news:20040805170826.12901.00001105@mb-
Hi Jean,

Not odd; that was HAL's policy (unique among main stream cruise lines).
It was
consistent with their "tipping not rquired" philosophy/policy. The new
policy
is very different, and hence, more confusing to many folks, including some
of
HAL's Cruise Directors.

Hi Ray,
As Tobie just reminded me, our first cruise on HAL was the Westerdam this
past May...Our second HAL cruise was on the Statendam to Alaska last
month...so I never got to experience the bar bill without the 15% service
charge..

Are you and Janet going on the Sleazy3?

--Jean

"Zegarskis" wrote in message
news:20040805170826.12901.00001105@mb-
Hi Jean,

Not odd; that was HAL's policy (unique among main stream cruise lines).
It was
consistent with their "tipping not rquired" philosophy/policy. The new
policy
is very different, and hence, more confusing to many folks, including some
of
HAL's Cruise Directors.

Hi Ray,
As Tobie just reminded me, our first cruise on HAL was the Westerdam this
past May...Our second HAL cruise was on the Statendam to Alaska last
month...so I never got to experience the bar bill without the 15% service
charge..

Are you and Janet going on the Sleazy3?

--Jean

"Zegarskis" wrote in message
news:20040805170826.12901.00001105@mb-
Hi Jean,

Not odd; that was HAL's policy (unique among main stream cruise lines).
It was
consistent with their "tipping not rquired" philosophy/policy. The new
policy
is very different, and hence, more confusing to many folks, including some
of
HAL's Cruise Directors.

Hi Ray,
As Tobie just reminded me, our first cruise on HAL was the Westerdam this
past May...Our second HAL cruise was on the Statendam to Alaska last
month...so I never got to experience the bar bill without the 15% service
charge..

Are you and Janet going on the Sleazy3?

--Jean

Yes Jean,

The 24 hours is gone and then some and I haven't heard anything.

"No news is GOOD news!" as the saying goes. I'm going to send an email to
my brother John in Olds Alberta and include some of those cartoons you sent
me. I'll ask him to print them out on his computer and take them to Jake.

I will let everyone know when I hear more. Thanks for caring!

Tobieon an Island in the Pacific

"Jean O'Boyle" wrote in message
. ..

"Tobie Gerbrandt" wrote in message
news:LQvQc.16774$M95.6698@pd7tw1no...
Hi Jean,

I think you said your Westerdam cruise was your first on HAL. They had
just
instigated the new tipping recommendations at that time.
That is precicely why HAL changed their recommendations tipping.

Thanks, Tobie, I realize now how it was being done before our May and July
HAL cruises. Think it is better this way...It is more fair and you can
always tip your favorite bartender extra at the end of the cruise...if you
ever get to have a favorite one with so many bars on ships these days!
;-)

How is Jake doing? I assume he is holding his own or we would have heard
from you...That's great as the critical 24 hours have passed, have they
not?

--Jean

On Thu, 5 Aug 2004 08:07:04 -0700, wrote:

Grandma.... Sure you could argue dollars and cents, but if you have
people at, say your dining table that still tip their usual amount to
the waiter, (in spite of the extra charge added to their bill), your 5
bucks is going to look kind of cheapskatish in the eyes of the waiter as
compared to his 50.
Don't think it can happen? Well, we've given many a hotel room service
individual an extra 5 bucks in spite of fact that we're still well aware
that a 15% gratuity has already been added to our bill. (I bet the
deliverer doesn't even see that 15%)

Does your waiter at the restaurant down the street see that 15%? The
IRS imputes 8 1/2% (I think that's the number, I don't deal with tips,
so that part of the tax code is just ignored). Something always goes
to the bus boys, the cooks, everybody but the matre'd.


...Old habits are tough to break. We're all used to the system, where
you "personally" tip for the services rendered. ...Having a fee tacked
on to a statement at the end of the cruise is not the same -- both for
you, and for your waiter/steward. ...Jon

I agree. Carnival made it hard enough to get it off that we just left
it on. And I don't tip my maid $7.50 a day, even at the W in LA.

Although $7.50 a day is far less than we'd tip our waiters. So we
added something on and gave it in two splits, one on the second night
and one on the last night.


--
dillon

When I was a kid, I thought the angel's name was Hark
and the horse's name was Bob.

On Thu, 5 Aug 2004 08:07:04 -0700, wrote:

Grandma.... Sure you could argue dollars and cents, but if you have
people at, say your dining table that still tip their usual amount to
the waiter, (in spite of the extra charge added to their bill), your 5
bucks is going to look kind of cheapskatish in the eyes of the waiter as
compared to his 50.
Don't think it can happen? Well, we've given many a hotel room service
individual an extra 5 bucks in spite of fact that we're still well aware
that a 15% gratuity has already been added to our bill. (I bet the
deliverer doesn't even see that 15%)

Does your waiter at the restaurant down the street see that 15%? The
IRS imputes 8 1/2% (I think that's the number, I don't deal with tips,
so that part of the tax code is just ignored). Something always goes
to the bus boys, the cooks, everybody but the matre'd.


...Old habits are tough to break. We're all used to the system, where
you "personally" tip for the services rendered. ...Having a fee tacked
on to a statement at the end of the cruise is not the same -- both for
you, and for your waiter/steward. ...Jon

I agree. Carnival made it hard enough to get it off that we just left
it on. And I don't tip my maid $7.50 a day, even at the W in LA.

Although $7.50 a day is far less than we'd tip our waiters. So we
added something on and gave it in two splits, one on the second night
and one on the last night.


--
dillon

When I was a kid, I thought the angel's name was Hark
and the horse's name was Bob.

Hi Grandma... You've just stated what I've been saying: "So what is it
going to look like if I don't tip any extra -- just the 10 bucks a day."
....Exactly; this is what the cruise line is counting on... And after
all...How many couples actually tip, even the 200 bucks for a 10 day
cruise. Have you? So now the cruise line is not only going to get
this money, but they're banking on instilling some feelings of guilt
amongst the usual "good-natured" tippers, to get even more. ...Jon

Hi Grandma... You've just stated what I've been saying: "So what is it
going to look like if I don't tip any extra -- just the 10 bucks a day."
....Exactly; this is what the cruise line is counting on... And after
all...How many couples actually tip, even the 200 bucks for a 10 day
cruise. Have you? So now the cruise line is not only going to get
this money, but they're banking on instilling some feelings of guilt
amongst the usual "good-natured" tippers, to get even more. ...Jon

Clint... You don't tip for them (3rd. worlders); you tip for yourself.
This is why the 3rd. party type "service charge" that HAL has just
instituted is for the birds. ...It's too impersonal. It's like if
your country donates money to a poorer country. It may be your tax
money, but the donation doesn't mean crap to you. ...However, if you
could pass that money on to them "personally", they'd feel good, and so
would you. ...Jon