Top tips to avoid tipping

Tipping.Always a contentious topics wherever keen cruisers gather to chat. Should I tip, shouldn't I?
Should I pre-pay them, should they be added at the end of my cruise?
Should I tip who I want, should I let the cruise line give my tips out?
I've seen the arguments go on and on and on with the people on both sides of the argument bitterly divided.
The truth is there is no easy answer to the topic, tipping always has and always will be, (for the British market at least), a personal subject. Now, I've written at length in the past on both sides of this argument and to be honest I'm still not sure where I stand on it but I thought it might be fun today if I put together a, (fairly), tongue in cheek guide on how to avoid tipping on your next cruise.

Automatic grats - What they aren't telling you

I've gone back and forth on this subject more times than I can count now and I'm still not sure where I fall on the subject. On the one hand I tend to think how dare someone tell me I have to tip; on the other hand I also know how hard the crew work and how much they rely on those tips to make up their wages.
However I found out something today that several large cruise lines all do that really shocked me.

Recommended gratuities for your cruise.......

Several clients have been asking me to compare the different levels of gratuities that different cruise lines ask for/expect for them. I've put together a handy little guide so that you can compare them. This probably isn't going to be the most interesting post I've ever written but fingers crossed you'll find it useful and informative.

Happy cruising