P and O to Change Tipping Policy

P&O Adonia, soon to having automatic tipping

One of the biggest cruise lines who still have a discretionary tipping policy will end the policy on 21st March 2012, all P and O cruises starting on or after this date move to automatic tipping. The recommended rate of £3.10 is to be added to passengers on board account on a daily basis.

I for one am never comfortable with automatically paying tips up front. I like to decide if the service I have had deserves a tip, then I am happy to pay. When I worked on cruise ships discretionary tipping was the way of the world, and let me tell you the dining room waiters and room stewards did very well, why did they do well ? because they had to work very hard for their money and went out of their way to provide exceptional service, ensuring good tips. Now tips are pretty much guaranteed, is the service as good these days ? I expect not.

Passengers will be able to take the tips off and indeed increase the tip if appropriate, but I think most people would find this inconvenient or indeed embarrassing, surly the easiest and most convenient way is to leave what you think in an envelope at the end of the cruise, call me old fashioned

What are your views ?