Holand America - Volendam - Tipping Outrage!

On Wed, 30 May 2007 17:56:57 -0400, Sue and Kevin Mullen
wrote:



skipfromla wrote:
Friend of mine just got back from a combo cruise/land tour and spent 7
days of a 12 day Alaskan cruise on Holland America's Volendam. Tips
were supposed to have been included in the price of the cruise at the
rate of $10 per day per person on the cruise.

Once aboard they were told that 70% of the tips included in the price
of the cruise went to people who worked in the background, not to the
people they were in contact with, cabin stewards, waiters, bus boys,
etc. The ship recommended that these people be tipped in addition to
the tips already charged in the bill for their cruise..

It appears Holland America has involved itself in some deceptive
business practices by telling people all the tips are included in the
price and then changing the rules once the cruise starts.

Doubtful my friends will be cruising on any Holland America ship
again.

We sailed on the Volendam in Jan. '07 and tips were not included. They
did put the typical $10/day/person on our onboard account.

I wonder if the problem your friends had, was something to do with the
cruise/land package or some kind of misunderstanding with their travel
agent.

sue

Nope. All of what I related was for the ship only although I think I
might have made an error when I said that the $10 per day per person
were included in the price of the cruse. They were automatically
added to their shipboard account, of which, they were told 70% goes to
the behind he scenes people and then recommended that the personal
servers and room stewards be tipped in addition.

On Wed, 30 May 2007 18:03:09 -0500, "Jean O'Boyle"
wrote:


"skipfromla" wrote in message
.. .
Friend of mine just got back from a combo cruise/land tour and spent 7
days of a 12 day Alaskan cruise on Holland America's Volendam. Tips
were supposed to have been included in the price of the cruise at the
rate of $10 per day per person on the cruise.

Once aboard they were told that 70% of the tips included in the price
of the cruise went to people who worked in the background, not to the
people they were in contact with, cabin stewards, waiters, bus boys,
etc. The ship recommended that these people be tipped in addition to
the tips already charged in the bill for their cruise..

It appears Holland America has involved itself in some deceptive
business practices by telling people all the tips are included in the
price and then changing the rules once the cruise starts.

Doubtful my friends will be cruising on any Holland America ship
again.

I think that your friends misunderstood...The tips on all the HAL cruises
that we have taken were $10 a day and never were included in the price of
the cruise; but posted on our shipboard account in the amount of $10. pp.
per day.. Only the bar staff got tipped 15% on any drinks that were
purchased...I do not believe the ship recommended that the cabin stewards,
waiters, asst. waiters, etc. be tipped again...We usually tip over the
amount if someone deserves it because of exceptional service.
Something just does not sound right here and I can't help but believe that
it was a misunderstanding.

--Jean


I made an error when I said that the $10 per day per person were
included in the price of the cruse. They were automatically added to
their shipboard account, of which, they were told 70% goes to the
behind he scenes people and then recommended that the personal servers
and room stewards be tipped in addition. No misunderstanding.

Because something was in effect a couple of years ago, a year ago or 6
months ago, it doesn't mean it will stay that way forever. If you
can't believe it, believe what you like instead.

In article , skipfromla
wrote:

Because something was in effect a couple of years ago, a year ago or 6
months ago, it doesn't mean it will stay that way forever. If you
can't believe it, believe what you like instead.

You are telling a second hand story and you weren't even there! And you
admit you were in error about the $10 being included........ Talk about
believing what you like!!!

--
Charles

On May 31, 2:10 am, skipfromla wrote

They were automatically
added to their shipboard account, of which, they were told 70% goes to
the behind he scenes people and then recommended that the personal
servers and room stewards be tipped in addition

Was aboard Noordam this winter and this was not the case. A breakdown
was given of how much went to Cabin Steward and dining room staff
(consistent with what other lines suggest for them), with "the
remainder" going toward other service crew such as the serving staff
behind the lido buffet. The only time I heard any recommendation for
tipping extra was for service above and beyond. Some deserved it, some
did not.

Warren

skipfromla wrote:
On Wed, 30 May 2007 18:03:09 -0500, "Jean O'Boyle"
wrote:

"skipfromla" wrote in message
...
Friend of mine just got back from a combo cruise/land tour and spent 7
days of a 12 day Alaskan cruise on Holland America's Volendam. Tips
were supposed to have been included in the price of the cruise at the
rate of $10 per day per person on the cruise.

Once aboard they were told that 70% of the tips included in the price
of the cruise went to people who worked in the background, not to the
people they were in contact with, cabin stewards, waiters, bus boys,
etc. The ship recommended that these people be tipped in addition to
the tips already charged in the bill for their cruise..

It appears Holland America has involved itself in some deceptive
business practices by telling people all the tips are included in the
price and then changing the rules once the cruise starts.

Doubtful my friends will be cruising on any Holland America ship
again.
I think that your friends misunderstood...The tips on all the HAL cruises
that we have taken were $10 a day and never were included in the price of
the cruise; but posted on our shipboard account in the amount of $10. pp.
per day.. Only the bar staff got tipped 15% on any drinks that were
purchased...I do not believe the ship recommended that the cabin stewards,
waiters, asst. waiters, etc. be tipped again...We usually tip over the
amount if someone deserves it because of exceptional service.
Something just does not sound right here and I can't help but believe that
it was a misunderstanding.

--Jean


I made an error when I said that the $10 per day per person were
included in the price of the cruse. They were automatically added to
their shipboard account, of which, they were told 70% goes to the
behind he scenes people and then recommended that the personal servers
and room stewards be tipped in addition. No misunderstanding.

Because something was in effect a couple of years ago, a year ago or 6
months ago, it doesn't mean it will stay that way forever. If you
can't believe it, believe what you like instead.


Maybe you should of gotten your facts together before posting about a
"Tipping Outrage". $10/day/person put on your shipboard account is the
normal way nowadays and if you don't like it, you can go to the pursers
desk and have it removed.

Jean O'Boyle and I were on the Volendam in January and if there had been
a major change in the tipping policy since then, we would of read about
it here on R.T.C. and elsewhere.

sue

Good website!
"Jean O'Boyle" wrote in message
et...

"skipfromla" wrote in message
...
.
I made an error when I said that the $10 per day per person were
included in the price of the cruse. They were automatically added to
their shipboard account, of which, they were told 70% goes to the
behind he scenes people and then recommended that the personal servers
and room stewards be tipped in addition. No misunderstanding.

Because something was in effect a couple of years ago, a year ago or 6
months ago, it doesn't mean it will stay that way forever. If you
can't believe it, believe what you like instead.


LOL! Too funny! You come on here denouncing the Volendam and accusing it
of a tipping outrage. You stated that $10. a day was already included in
your friend's cruise fare and then you come back and say you made an error
and that is was automatically added to their shipboard account instead
(which is the way it is now done unless you request differently) and now
you say they were told that 70% goes to the behind scenes people..WHO told
them such a thing? It's a well known fact that the cabin steward and the
waiter get $3-3.50 a day, the asst.waiter gets $1.50-2.00 a day; so THEY
are the ones who get 70% of the tips and the rest goes to the people
behind the scenes. I still say that your friends were misinformed or they
misunderstood. Most all the cruise lines pretty much follow these tip
amounts...sometimes more...On the 12 day Celebrity Constellation last
month, we paid $12.50 a day pp. for our tips. No problem... they work hard
for those tips and deserve every cent.
Maybe you should do some research of your own before you make accusations
here...there are many seasoned cruisers who post regularly here; so it is
not easy to pull the wool over their eyes!
You might start with this link:

http://www.vacationstogo.com/cruise_tipping.cfm

In article ,
Jean O'Boyle wrote:
LOL! Too funny! You come on here denouncing the Volendam and
accusing it of a tipping outrage.

What is it about cruising that solicits so many alarmist posts?

As a non-regular cruiser preparing to go on the Noordam this summer,
I've been reading this newsgroup and have asked a few questions,
generally to try to understand what to expect.

I haven't been around here very long, but have been around Usenet
over 20 years, and this is very much my impression of this newsgroup:
Lots of people very upset about all sorts of minor or imagined
things. I find it odd.

(And lots of coherent knowledgeable posters too, let me be sure to
add.)

They also don't like(or understand) humor!
"Todd Michel McComb" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Jean O'Boyle wrote:
LOL! Too funny! You come on here denouncing the Volendam and
accusing it of a tipping outrage.

What is it about cruising that solicits so many alarmist posts?

As a non-regular cruiser preparing to go on the Noordam this summer,
I've been reading this newsgroup and have asked a few questions,
generally to try to understand what to expect.

I haven't been around here very long, but have been around Usenet
over 20 years, and this is very much my impression of this newsgroup:
Lots of people very upset about all sorts of minor or imagined
things. I find it odd.

(And lots of coherent knowledgeable posters too, let me be sure to
add.)

On May 31, 8:46 am, Warren wrote:
On May 31, 2:10 am, skipfromla wrote



They were automatically
added to their shipboard account, of which, they were told 70% goes to
the behind he scenes people and then recommended that the personal
servers and room stewards be tipped in addition

Was aboard Noordam this winter and this was not the case. A breakdown
was given of how much went to Cabin Steward and dining room staff
(consistent with what other lines suggest for them), with "the
remainder" going toward other service crew such as the serving staff
behind the lido buffet. The only time I heard any recommendation for
tipping extra was for service above and beyond. Some deserved it, some
did not.


That was it on the Zuiderdam 1 1/2 years ago ... all the tips went to
service crew ... they got the buffet people and table cleaners in
there somehow also ... and as far as I was told, the extra tip our
waiters got was theirs to keep ...

"clint" wrote in message
...
Good website!

Good! does that mean that you are no longer confused? ;-)

--Jean



http://www.vacationstogo.com/cruise_tipping.cfm