A penny saved …

Cruise Travel, Jan-Feb, 2005 by Dick Worden

My wife and I just returned from a Canada/ New England cruise on the MS Massdam. It was totally delightful, but I was struck by how far the cruise industry had drifted away from the old-fashioned tipping custom. This is not to single out Holland America Line, its just industry agreement.

Here's my beef. Tipping (or "gratuities") was for service over and above what was expected. It was a personal exchange between individuals. Now a "guest" is charged a certain amount per day (which can be adjusted up or down). The cruise line, not the "guest," decides who is rewarded, removing all personal recognition. HAL even says that if I personally tip the maitre d' or cabin steward, they must turn it in. So it comes down to a "service charge" assessed just like the cruise fare and just as impersonal. In HAL literature they proclaim that the third cook and the pastry chef are rewarded. But it's not me who is doing the recognition.

Is there any line that allows tipping the "old-fashioned" way, including (as we used to do) leaving just a penny to show our displeasure?

Dick Worden, Torrence CA

As our "Gratuity Guidelines" detail in this issue, many cruise lines still graciously accept cash gratuities; we're not sure how they feel about change.