Why Need To Shift How They Deal With Daily Gratuities

 As long as moms have existed, they’ve asked, “If all your friends jumped off a bridge, would you do it, too?” Apparently, where cruise lines and the raising of gratuities are concerned, the answer is, “Hold my beer, ’cause I’m jumping.” The problem is that more and more, the passengers who are expected to simply swallow these increases are saying, “Not so fast.”

Paying More, Getting Less

Look, every single cruise fan knows exactly how tough the industry had it over the past few years. And they’ve been incredibly tolerant since the restart, taking it in stride as protocols were changed on a dime, cancellations continued, and services suffered. But there are limits.

Every single day, we hear complaints from cruisers who are disappointed by the level of service they’ve received on a ship. Maybe they sat in a main dining room for an hour before someone brought them bread and butter, or the room service they ordered (and are being charged for) arrived two hours later and ice cold. Perhaps their room attendant wasn’t as attentive as he should have been.

Usually, the complaints we hear are accompanied by raves about how, despite the fact that they are clearly overworked and underpaid, the staff did their darndest to go above and beyond.

But it’s tough when you listen to people like Carnival Corporation’s President and CEO Josh Weinstein talk about the importance of boosting both ticket prices and the amount of money passengers spend once onboard even as the experience being delivered is not living up to your expectations.

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Tags: Cruise Lines, Josh Weinstein, Carnival Corporation