In the Voyage Information booklet for my upcoming QM2 cruse I noticed new terminology: Hotel and Dining Charges: $13-$11 p/p p/d. They are “going to be added automatically to my shipboard account for my convenience”. It used to be called “tipping suggestions”. Now it is a charge. I really do not like this “convenience”. We’ve been cruising for a long time and I stopped counting. What I do remember, is when I would tip I would get thanks in return, not to mention that during my cruise I would be getting superb service from the staff in anticipation of a bigger tip. Today it is, basically, a mandatory charge (yes, it can be adjusted, but who wants to be bothered?). So, you either end up with double tipping or feeling that you did not tip at all – how can you say goodbye to someone who took care of you without giving them a tip? At any rate, the service, because of this “convenience” is no longer what it used to be.
This time I intend to start my cruise with informing the Purser’s not to worry about my convenience. It is a two weeks cruise. The suggested minimum of $364 I will distribute any way I think is appropriate.
Does anyone know, how this will affect my waiter/bus boy and cabin steward in the general distribution? Do I need this headache? And they call it convenience?