Passengers with P&O Cruises could have hundreds of pounds automatically added on to their bills at the end of their holiday to pay for tips.
From next April, the cruise company says it will add £3.10 (about R40) per person, per day on to bills to cover service charges.
In the past, passengers who opted to have their meals at a fixed time could simply hand waiters and stewards cash at the end of their cruise if service had been good. But P&O says many passengers found this “embarrassing” and “confusing”.
Money Mail receives hundreds of emails and letters every year from readers baffled by cruise charges.
Under the new system, tips will be added on to bills which are paid by passengers by credit card at the end of the holiday. P&O says this is fairer because all staff get some of the cash. The £3.10 sum does not sound much, but over a long cruise the total cost would be huge.
For example, a couple who went on P&O’s 98-day World Cruise would have £607 added to their bill at the end of their trip to cover tips. The cruise already costs £8,799 per person.
A spokesman for P&O Cruises insist the move isn’t a sneaky way of piling hidden charges on to bills. It says passengers who dine in different restaurants during their trip already pay tips like this.
Passengers can also refuse to pay or pay less if they feel service has been poor. They can also pay more.
Jonathan Mitcham, senior researcher with Which?, says most of the consumer group’s complaints about cruises were linked to charges for tips stuck on bills. - Daily Mail