Auto Tipping is Rearing its Head Again

[towny44]

On our recent Fred Olsen cruise we went AI for the first time, mostly because the price was very reasonable at £10pppn.

We found we did drink more than usual. On typical day we'd have a glass of wine at lunch time, a couple of glasses of wine with dinner, and a glass of wine or beer while watching the show in the show lounge.

Beers were all named brands such as Stella Artois or Spitfire. For wine, the brands were Klippenkop, Terres Cortal and Casa Silva. For each brand you had a a choice of a red, a while or a rose, so there were nine different wines to choose from, plus a cava. I tried most of the wines, and they were far superior to 'supermarket own brand'. My husband likes gin and tonic, and he did comment that the house gin wasn't as nice as Bombay Sapphire or Gordons. However, overall it was very good value and a good choice of drinks.

We had one alcohol free day half way through the cruise, and I didn't have any alcohol on the last two days as I had a bad cold and was feeling under the weather, and we still managed to drink more than we paid.

We liked the experience so much, we've booked AI free for our next Fred and CMV cruises, even though the cost is £15pppn and £17pppn. We enjoyed the freedom of knowing that everything was paid for.

I don't think you have to drink a skinful of cheap booze to get the most from AI, and its a shame that 'some of us' dismiss the experience.

Prices on Princess and the RCI group lines are approx. $65pppd which is way more than your Fred experience Gill, and I suspect that as P&O is Carnival owned their drinks packages will nearer the US line prices.

[Stephen]

On our recent Fred Olsen cruise we went AI for the first time, mostly because the price was very reasonable at £10pppn.

We found we did drink more than usual. On typical day we'd have a glass of wine at lunch time, a couple of glasses of wine with dinner, and a glass of wine or beer while watching the show in the show lounge.

Beers were all named brands such as Stella Artois or Spitfire. For wine, the brands were Klippenkop, Terres Cortal and Casa Silva. For each brand you had a a choice of a red, a while or a rose, so there were nine different wines to choose from, plus a cava. I tried most of the wines, and they were far superior to 'supermarket own brand'. My husband likes gin and tonic, and he did comment that the house gin wasn't as nice as Bombay Sapphire or Gordons. However, overall it was very good value and a good choice of drinks.

We had one alcohol free day half way through the cruise, and I didn't have any alcohol on the last two days as I had a bad cold and was feeling under the weather, and we still managed to drink more than we paid.

We liked the experience so much, we've booked AI free for our next Fred and CMV cruises, even though the cost is £15pppn and £17pppn. We enjoyed the freedom of knowing that everything was paid for.

I don't think you have to drink a skinful of cheap booze to get the most from AI, and its a shame that 'some of us' dismiss the experience.

[Stephen]

As the saying goes....

You can please some of the people some of the time, all of the people some of the time, some of the people all of the time, but you can never please all of the people all of the time.


Abraham Lincoln

[Gill W]

I don't think you have to drink a skinful of cheap booze to get the most from AI, and its a shame that 'some of us' dismiss the experience.

Fine if you like a drink with your lunch, dinner and in the theatre or bars afterwards but not all of us do. Not dismissing it, just saying it's not for us.

If we hadn't had AI, we wouldn't have had the wine at lunch, we'd only have had the one glass of wine at dinner, and may or may not have a drink in the show lounge.

The AI package enhanced our experience. However, drinking alcohol is not a necessity for us, and we'd have still have had an enjoyable cruise without the AI package.

Incidentally, CMV do AI for soft drinks only, so that might be a choice for those who don't drink alcohol.

[Gill W]

On our recent Fred Olsen cruise we went AI for the first time, mostly because the price was very reasonable at £10pppn.

We found we did drink more than usual. On typical day we'd have a glass of wine at lunch time, a couple of glasses of wine with dinner, and a glass of wine or beer while watching the show in the show lounge.

Beers were all named brands such as Stella Artois or Spitfire. For wine, the brands were Klippenkop, Terres Cortal and Casa Silva. For each brand you had a a choice of a red, a while or a rose, so there were nine different wines to choose from, plus a cava. I tried most of the wines, and they were far superior to 'supermarket own brand'. My husband likes gin and tonic, and he did comment that the house gin wasn't as nice as Bombay Sapphire or Gordons. However, overall it was very good value and a good choice of drinks.

We had one alcohol free day half way through the cruise, and I didn't have any alcohol on the last two days as I had a bad cold and was feeling under the weather, and we still managed to drink more than we paid.

We liked the experience so much, we've booked AI free for our next Fred and CMV cruises, even though the cost is £15pppn and £17pppn. We enjoyed the freedom of knowing that everything was paid for.

I don't think you have to drink a skinful of cheap booze to get the most from AI, and its a shame that 'some of us' dismiss the experience.

Prices on Princess and the RCI group lines are approx. $65pppd which is way more than your Fred experience Gill, and I suspect that as P&O is Carnival owned their drinks packages will nearer the US line prices.

I wouldn't pay that much for it. I'd only pay what I thought the experience was worth, and the £17pppn on CMV next year is the top end

[Mervyn and Trish]

Since we usually spend maybe £30-£40 per day for drinks for the two of us a package at under £20pppd might be worthwhile. But we couldn't drink $65 pppd, however hard we tried, even at American bar prices!

[CaroleF]

We too went on a Fred Olsen cruise last year, the first time we'd been with them since our first cruise back in 2003. When I booked it was over the St. Patrick's Day weekend, now goodness knows why but FO were offering a free drinks package if you booked over that weekend. So we had the drinks package included. I don't think we drank more than usual. I found the Prosecco very acidic but the rose was ok. My husband thought the red was ok. We certainly found the waiters at dinner were coming round quite often to fill up glasses. One thing that was good was that if we wished to purchase premium drinks or wines we got them at half price as we were on the drinks package.

Carole

[barney]

Since we usually spend maybe £30-£40 per day for drinks for the two of us a package at under £20pppd might be worthwhile. But we couldn't drink $65 pppd, however hard we tried, even at American bar prices!

We are pretty much the same Merv.

We allow approx £50 a day between us for on board spend (most of that is me)

[david63]

A further development re Auto tipping is being reported on various social media sites and that is that if you remove the Auto whatever it is called this week then whenever you get a receipt for any purchase onboard there is printed on it "OPTED OUT".

I cannot see the point of doing that, other than P&O are in panic mode and are trying to shame passengers, as those issuing the receipts are not party to the Auto tipping regime - unless, heaven forbid, P&O have been lying about who actually part of the Auto tipping "pot".

If this is true, and at this moment in time I don't know one way or the other, then it is a step too far in my opinion.

[Meg 50]

if that is so - it is the thin end of the wedge.

We leave ours on, but no one knows whether the 'opt outs' tip over or under the norm and no one needs to know other then those tipped ( or not).

I'd be fuming - even if ours said 'OPTED IN'

Ought to be able to invoke Data protection/privacy etc etc

[daib GC]

A further development re Auto tipping is being reported on various social media sites and that is that if you remove the Auto whatever it is called this week then whenever you get a receipt for any purchase onboard there is printed on it "OPTED OUT".

I cannot see the point of doing that, other than P&O are in panic mode and are trying to shame passengers, as those issuing the receipts are not party to the Auto tipping regime - unless, heaven forbid, P&O have been lying about who actually part of the Auto tipping "pot".

If this is true, and at this moment in time I don't know one way or the other, then it is a step too far in my opinion.

So a number of forums have repeated a B********* wind up. It’s cobblers.

[towny44]

Will be boarding Ventura shortly, so will let you know when we find our first free Wi-Fi.

[Stephen]

I heard, as well as 'Opted Out'' being printed on the receipt, your photo from when you first boarded is then automatically displayed on all bar and cabin TV's.

[daib GC]

I heard, as well as 'Opted Out'' being printed on the receipt, your photo from when you first boarded is then automatically displayed on all bar and cabin TV's.

Now that bit is true.

[Mervyn and Trish]

I hope it comes with a warning to people of a nervous disposition

[Stephen]

Our postman is doing overtime for all my hate mail

[Palace]

Just had this reply from P&O re OPTED OUT being pr8nted on receipts.

We were trialing the written receipts for the gratuities on board earlier this year, and whether or not we decide to maintain this will be decided by our management. The reason for doing this was to offer guests an opportunity to opt back in to the tips if they decide they wish to, so this would never be done to upset or offend any guests in anyway.

[barney]

Opportunity to 'opt back in'

How very, very generous of them

We've already decided on our next one, to Opt out and pay directly.

I'll pay the steward the full amount he's due in cash and on the nights we eat in the MDR, I'll drop the waiters a fiver before we leave (assuming decent service)

[david63]

We were trialing the written receipts for the gratuities ...

Can someone please explain what that means?

The only time that "written" receipts were used earlier in the year that I recall was when the system went down for three days.

Also if they are "written" receipts how will they know whether to "opt you in" or not? Do they log into the system every time to see if you are good guy or a bad guy and then go off and write a receipt?

so this would never be done to upset or offend any guests in anyway.

But it will

[Dancing Queen]

Maybe it's time for people to start speaking with their feet and send a very clear message to P&O they will not be dictated to, I say this as someone who leaves the gratuities in place but I think this oversteps the line and is absolutely disgraceful !!

[barney]

We were trialing the written receipts for the gratuities ...

Can someone please explain what that means?

The only time that "written" receipts were used earlier in the year that I recall was when the system went down for three days.

Also if they are "written" receipts how will they know whether to "opt you in" or not? Do they log into the system every time to see if you are good guy or a bad guy and then go off and write a receipt?

so this would never be done to upset or offend any guests in anyway.

But it will

I suspect that it's a bit of B***S*** David.
Unless anyone can actually verify it in person.

If however there is any grain of truth in it, then it's a massive PR disaster for P&O.

The general rule when you're in a hole is stop digging.

[david63]

We were trialing the written receipts for the gratuities on board earlier this year, and whether or not we decide to maintain this will be decided by our management. The reason for doing this was to offer guests an opportunity to opt back in to the tips if they decide they wish to, so this would never be done to upset or offend any guests in anyway.

I have subsequently found that this was a response posted on FB by P&O.

If however there is any grain of truth in it, then it's a massive PR disaster for P&O.

The general rule when you're in a hole is stop digging.

If it is getting so desperate then P&O and/or Carnival are in serious panic mode. The problem is that everyone, except apparently P&O, know what the solution is.

[Mervyn and Trish]

They have truly lost the plot with the auto tipping issue. The level of gratuities is still below the industry standard and indeed the Carnival standard, which is why they're probably being pressured by "the bosses" to raise it in line with Cunard and Princess particularly. However the way they're handling it is so ham fisted as to be unbelievable.

This latest twist may or may not be true. But after the open letters on beds it seems entirely likely.

Either gratuities are discretionary, in which case once someone has opted out leave it. Or they're not. In which case build them into the price and forget it.

[david63]

Either gratuities are discretionary, in which case once someone has opted out leave it. Or they're not. In which case build them into the price and forget it.

Merv - how many times do we have to tell you to stop using common sense and logic where P&O are concerned?

[Mervyn and Trish]

Either gratuities are discretionary, in which case once someone has opted out leave it. Or they're not. In which case build them into the price and forget it.

Merv - how many times do we have to tell you to stop using common sense and logic where P&O are concerned?

My apologies. I've not done the course!