When sailing the high seas, it’s easy to forget how different the world looks for those who live and work across various countries.
Captain Kate McCue of Celebrity Cruises’ 140,000-gross-ton Celebrity Beyond reminded everyone of this fact after responding to a social media troll in a way that struck a chord with her followers and with her crew.
In a recent Facebook post to her 110,000 followers, Captain McCue, the first American woman to captain a large cruise ship, addressed a comment left on one of her previous videos.
The initial video showed crew members receiving tips, which led to a negative response from a viewer who remarked on the action of receiving $5, implying that it was an exaggerated response for such a small amount of money.
“The way that he acted, I thought it was a $100 bill. Then to find out it was $5. I feel he acted like that because you are the captain. Kinda sad,” the poster wrote.
Instead of ignoring the criticism, Captain McCue used it as a teaching moment. She posted a follow-up video, sharing a quote from well-known researcher Brené Brown, “What separates privilege from entitlement is gratitude.”
The captain’s message went deeper by sharing a conversation with one of her 1,450 crew members, Rinku, who works on board the 3,250-passenger ship and hails from India.
In the video, McCue asked Rinku if $5 is considered a good tip in his country and how far that amount of money would go. Rinku explained that in India, $5 could purchase two shirts, three cases of potatoes, or two cases of sugar.
When McCue asked Rinku if he was the primary provider for his family, Rinku said yes, noting that he was the sole breadwinner. What stood out the most, however, was Rinku’s humble response about receiving tips in general.
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“Even $1 is a good tip,” he said. “I’m never thinking about the money. I’m thinking that the guest appreciates me for the $5, and I’m really happy for that.“
Captain McCue used the interaction to remind her audience that different parts of the world have varying economic realities.
“When you travel the world, you realize not all is the same in every country,” she said. “I hope you travel more and get to meet people like Rinku.“
Tipping on Celebrity Cruises
The captain’s post resonated with many, including John Heald, brand ambassador for Carnival Cruise Line, who commented, “I think you should be applauded for highlighting the brilliant work of the crew. Where would we both be without them?”
He continued, “Even though we may work for different companies, we both work for an industry we both believe is the best vacation experience in the world. Thank you, Captain.”
Heald, who recently addressed the topic of tipping on his own Facebook page, which has 586,000 followers, is a staunch supporter of tipping and frequently posts about the importance of gratuities for crewmembers.
Celebrity Cruises, like many cruise lines, collects tips that are “distributed to crew members, including dining, bar and culinary staff, stateroom attendants, hotel services teams as well as other onboard who work to enhance the overall cruise experience.“
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Its gratuity policy applies a per-guest, per-day fee of $18 to Inside, Oceanview, and Veranda staterooms, $19 to all Concierge and AquaClass staterooms, and $23 to The Retreat staterooms.
It also adds a 20 percent gratuity to pre-cruise and onboard purchases of spa and salon services, beverage and beverage packages, specialty dining and specialty dining packages, room service, and mini bar purchases.
Although the gratuities are automatic, the cruise line allows guests to modify the tips at their discretion, including not tipping at all, something Heald recently addressed on his own Facebook page when passengers complained.
