Latest news with #tipping
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Carnival Cruise Line answers controversial tipping question
Carnival Cruise Line answers controversial tipping question originally appeared on Come Cruise With Me. Carnival Cruise Line Brand Ambassador John Heald is once again combating the cruise rumor mill. In a recent Facebook video for his more than 600,000 followers, the beloved brand ambassador explained that over the last few weeks he's received hundreds of questions and complaints related to a social media post from an alleged crew member who worked for another cruise the crew member shared online led to an outcry among cruisers about cruise lines' tip distribution policies. Heald did not want to reveal which cruise line the crew member worked for, but he detailed what the crew member posted. According to Heald, the crew member stated that 'the cruise line that he or she works for will take a large percentage of the gratuities that are automatically left for the crew members to use to pay other crew members, or for whatever the cruise line decides to do with it.' Heald pointed out that he didn't know if that statement was true and he didn't want to judge, comment on, or speculate about it. He did, however, want to clarify how Carnival Cruise Line's automatic gratuities are distributed after many disgruntled passengers wrote to him angrily assuming that Carnival follows a similar tip distribution procedure.'The gratuity that you give our crew stays with them,' Heald emphasized. To provide transparency, Heald went on to explain just how Carnival Cruise Line divvies up the automatic gratuities that most passengers choose to prepay for their cruise. 'The majority of your gratuity of the suggested daily amount is shared equally between the lady or gentleman who cleans your cabin and the lady or gentleman who serves you in the dining room,' Heald explained. He also noted that stateroom attendants and dining room servers may share those tips with their assistants. Additionally, a smaller portion of passengers' prepaid gratuities goes to crew who serve, clean, and work behind the scenes on the Lido brand ambassador also explained that if passengers choose "Your Time" dining, which means they aren't served by the same dining room service team each night of their cruise like they are with traditional dining, their prepaid gratuities are shared between all Your Time dining servers. 'If you give a waiter in Your Time dining cash, it is kept completely by that waiter; otherwise it is pooled, as they say,' Heald noted. 'It's the same with the bartenders,' he added. 'If you write a gratuity on the receipt, or if, for example, you've got the Cheers program, that gratuity is shared equally between all the bartenders on the ship. If you hand a bartender a cash gratuity it is kept completely 100% by he or she that has served you.''If you give a crew member a gratuity in cash — if you give them the same amount as the suggested amount in cash or any extra in cash — then that is kept 100% by that crew member,' Heald explained. 'Again, he or she may give a portion of that to their direct assistant or the assistants in the dining room.' Heald assured passengers that Carnival Cruise Line does not require its crew members to turn in cash gratuities they are given; 100% of those cash gratuities are kept by the crew. More Carnival cruise news:The brand ambassador also made a point to thank Carnival cruisers for how well they take care of Carnival crew members with their tips, and reminded them of one very important thing. 'Please don't believe everything you read on the internet — it is so important — and before you come racing across to accuse us of something, just ask me civilly and I will give you the honest and a civil answer back,' Heald promised. (The Arena Group will earn a commission if you book a cruise.) , or email Amy Post at or call or text her at 386-383-2472. This story was originally reported by Come Cruise With Me on May 26, 2025, where it first appeared.
Khaleej Times
3 days ago
- Business
- Khaleej Times
UAE: Cashless tips for blue-collar workers? Students unveil digital wallet; no bank account needed
With cashless transactions forming a major part of the UAE economy, some students have developed a solution that enables tipping blue-collar workers who may not have a traditional bank account. The app, which is still in its prototype stage, was developed by the winning team in the 'Company of the Year Award — University Track' at the 16 th annual Injaz UAE Young Entrepreneurs Competition. Twenty finalist teams, 10 from high schools and 10 from universities, emerged from a national pool of 76 teams, in which Emirati youth participation comprised 40 per cent. The FinTech app enables cashless tipping through a unique QR code for each service or blue-collar worker. "Anyone can scan a service or blue-collar worker's unique QR code, which takes them to a dedicated page to leave a tip — 100 per cent of which goes directly to the worker," Zaina Ismail, a Computer Science student at American University of Sharjah (AUS), said. Saif Abu Mahfuz, a finance student at AUS added, 'We generate the QR codes and link them to a digital Taqdeer wallet within our app, which is currently in prototype stage. This system works even without a traditional bank account. Workers can store their tips securely and choose to transfer the funds either to a bank account or a money exchange account, making it especially supportive for the underbanked.' Another team comprising of 12 members from Al Basma British School in Abu Dhabi, awarded the 'Best Financial Plan Award,' shared insights into their project, which focused on simplifying the university application process. Team member Aleeza Usman said, 'Our idea was to build a centralised website where students can find comprehensive information about different universities in the UAE. You select your desired course, see the requirements, and complete a single application form that can be submitted to multiple institutions. We also guide users through scholarship and financial aid options, and keep them updated throughout the process.' Students and young people across UAE and Mena have gained practical skills, and access to mentorship to thrive as entrepreneurs and skilled professionals through Injaz Al Arab. Razan Bashiti, CEO of Injaz UAE said, 'Injaz is actually what I like to call an 'unseen curriculum'. Life does not come with a manual. It offers lessons, often disguised as challenges. We have evolved as an organisation. We've embraced struggles of all kinds, but we kept that dream of youth empowerment kindled in our hearts, and because we were relentless dreamers, our organisation, Junior Achievement worldwide, has been nominated for the year 2025, Nobel Peace Prize.' She added, 'At Injaz UAE, we see our students not just as learners, but as future leaders and changemakers. This year's competition highlighted their ability to turn ideas into action and showcased the impact of two decades of youth empowerment in the UAE.'
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
DoorDash driver reignites fierce tipping debate after demanding extra from customer due to stormy weather
A DoorDash driver has ignited a fierce tipping debate after demanding extra from a customer due to stormy weather. The disgruntled patron took to Reddit to share her shock at being asked to tip for her food delivery - on top of the $5 she already had. The driver, only known as Rob, contacted the customer through the DoorDash app, starting off by telling her that he was waiting on the order. He then sent two photos showing the stormy weather - including one of extremely heavy rain. The DoorDash driver then wrote: 'It's heavily raining out here if you can add compensation that would be greatly appreciated and helpful.' Rob added: 'Driving more than 10 miles to get your food delivered.' The confused customer shared the interaction to Reddit, asking fellow users if it was normal to tip even more in bad weather. 'I looked it up and it was not 10 miles away and I had definitely tipped well,' she wrote in a comment. 'That's the weird part for me he wanted me to increase my already $5 tip.' Reddit users then chimed in with their thoughts over the matter - many agreeing that while you should tip more when the weather is bad, the delivery driver shouldn't have asked the customer to do so. 'Tipping more just because it is raining is an insane ask, but I was Dashing the other day, got a storm warning on my phone, and it went from calm to sh***y in a matter of 10 minutes,' a user pointed out. They added: 'I was desperately trying to get the customer to answer their phone so I didn't put $35 worth of food on the ground while it was DUMPING. It surely would've instantly ruined it.' Another acknowledged that while they think people should tip more in the rain, they'd never ask someone to. 'It's materially more dangerous to drive in heavy rain, yet when I'd Dash I'd still get people not tipping at all. I would never ask, but if you're so unwilling to go out and drive in the rain but expect someone else to do it, you should be tipping more than usual. 'I've done this before. But for a snowstorm. Calm when I woke up so I ordered Starbucks, a few minutes after ordering it just started becoming a whiteout. I ended up tipping the guy an extra $15. Whoops lol. Now I make sure to look outside before I order see if it looks like it COULD do something LOL,' shared someone else. Others said they make a conscious effort to tip more when the conditions outside are terrible. 'I usually tip extra when it rains but that's because, I am taking into account that not only am I not wanting to be out in the rain, I'm asking someone else to be. It's just my way of showing my appreciation. I know it's their job and they are choosing to do it. But, I still want them to know I appreciate it,' one user wrote. The driver, only known as Rob, contacted the customer through the DoorDash app, starting off by telling her that he was waiting on the order He then sent two photos showing the stormy weather - including one of extremely heavy rain Reddit users chimed in with their thoughts over the matter - many agreeing that while you should tip more when the weather is bad, the delivery driver shouldn't have asked the customer to do so Last year, a DoorDash customer went viral after sharing what happened to her order after she didn't tip. The customer, Kaitlyn, revealed in a TikTok video that a dasher left her food 'so far away' in the gearing sunshine after she chose not to tip the driver last week. According to Kaitlyn, the dasher forced her to 'play hide and seek' for 20 minutes until she found her raw salmon order in a sunny corner. The TikTok user claimed that by the time she found her raw salmon, it was already cooked. Tipping culture has been a debatable issue, and 59 percent of US adults always tip a delivery driver, according to a study conducted by Pew Research Center. In some cases, customers have stopped giving out tips due to menu item prices or tax increases. However, gratuity is usually considered good etiquette for customers to use with food delivery drivers. Experts have advised customers to follow general tipping guidelines and tip DoorDash drivers around 15 to 20 percent of their final bill.
Globe and Mail
6 days ago
- Business
- Globe and Mail
The right restaurant tip? Newsletter readers say it's 15 per cent
Readers of this newsletter are firm that a 15 per cent tip at restaurants is just fine. There were a few voices of dissention among the hundreds of responses received to my request for comments on whether a 15 per cent tip is cheap. 'Tips should be 20 per cent,' one reader said by e-mail, while another wrote that '20 per cent should be the standard.' A few others leaned toward 10 or 18 per cent. Where the general consensus on the 15 per cent tip broke down is on the question of whether it should apply to the pretax amount, or the tax-in cost you see on the payment terminals used in restaurants and stores. The idea of tipping on tax offends some, but most people seem grudgingly OK with it. Now, for the problem with 15 per cent tipping. Restaurants and retailers make you feel cheap if you choose that amount. Payment terminals often present three tipping options – 18, 20 and 25 per cent. Going off the menu to choose 15 per cent or whatever makes people feel, well, allow me to quote a few readers: The word hate came up a bunch of times. 'Restaurant tipping – I hate it,' said the subject line on one reader's e-mail. Quebec recently introduced new rules on tipping that are supposed to ease pressure to give higher tips and ensure tips are calculated on pre-tax amounts. Meantime, a recent edition of the Globe and Mail's Decoder feature noted that restaurant bookings for April were up 20 per cent compared to the same period a year earlier, possibly because of cancelled plans for U.S. travel. It seems clear that as much as people dislike tipping, they love restaurants. Now, it's time for restaurants to love us back. Adding a 15 per cent tipping option on payment terminals would be a good start. Are you reading this newsletter on the web or did someone forward the e-mail version to you? If so, you can sign up for Carrick on Money here. Housing's other affordability problem Getting into the market as a first-time buyer is the affordability issue that gets most of the attention in housing, but many people who already own houses are finding it hard to afford their mortgage and other costs. Now, for a look at the touchy issue of whether home prices must come down to improve affordability for buyers. Best ETFs for balanced investors A look at some top choices for investors making the sensible decision to use an asset allocation exchange-traded fund, which is a fully diversified portfolio in a single low-cost product. Balanced asset allocation ETFs typically have a 60-40 mix of stocks and bonds. You can also get more and less aggressive versions. Retirement, euro-style A look at retirement ages in Europe, which are creeping up from the old standard of 65. Retirement ages are significant because they're a reference for starting pension benefits. The date for starting Old Age Security in Canada was set to rise to 67 from 65 under former Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper, but the Liberals cancelled that plan. Don't be surprised to see this decision revisisted. OAS is a huge cost for the federal government and getting bigger as the population ages. Prepping for disaster The Guardian asked its international readership for thoughts on what to pack in case of an event along the lines of the recent power outage in Portugal and Spain. Toilet paper, sure. But what else? Subscribe to Stress Test on Apple podcasts or Spotify. Q: My wife is the beneficiary of my registered retirement income fund account. After my death, does she have to pay tax on this? A: The answer should be no. Details here. Do you have a question for me? Send it my way. Sorry I can't answer every one personally. Questions and answers are edited for length and clarity. Tools and guides A tipping calculator that asks for the amount of your bill and the percentage tip you want to leave. In the social sphere Social Media: A discussion about whether term or whole life insurance is the better choice. Watch: The risk of a retiree tax shock, and how to avoid it Money-Free Zone: The alt-rock band The Feelies just issued a pair of covers I'm enjoying – Patti Smith's Dancing Barefoot and Barstool Blues by Neil Young. The Feelies' jittery guitar sound suits both tunes nicely. One more Feelies cover for you – a version of David Bowie's Fame that was featured in the 1986 movie Something Wild. If you haven't seen Something Wild, get on it. A hugely watchable weirdo romcom that goes off in unexpectedly tense directions.
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Poll suggests Canadians are 'fed up' with current tipping etiquette
From the 20 percent suggested tip on your restaurant bill, to options to add a gratuity at the beer and wine store, the etiquette of tipping has changed. But as Paul Johnson reports, a new poll has found Canadians are feeling 'fed up' with the added expense and expectation.
