A bit of advice about tips...

Most people agree that tipping should be a matter of choice. However, if you visit a restaurant in a large group, this might not be the case, as many restaurants add a service charge to the bill for larger parties.

Commercial Litigation Solicitor David Owen explains: "If the service charge is a mandatory service charge, and it is labelled as such on the menu, this forms part of the contract between the customer and the restaurant, and as such the customer will be liable to pay."

Until 2009, restaurant companies were able to pocket service charges and tips - then use the money to top up the pay of their staff, some of whom were on less than the National Minimum Wage. A new law was supposed to change that.

You might be surprised to learn that the tip you leave still doesn't necessarily go to staff - at least not all of it. If you're paying by card, many restaurants will take a slice as a so-called admin fee.

Of the 10 biggest restaurant chains in the UK, only two - Wagamama and Nandos - don't do this. All the rest (Pizza Express, Prezzo, Ask, Café Rouge, Zizzi, Bella Italia, Strada and La Tasca) take between 8 and 10% of whatever you leave.

And it's not just an issue in restaurants: cruise ship passengers have always been expected to leave hefty tips to the lowly paid crew. But now some passengers are even being told how much to tip before the ship has even set sail.

Of the 10 biggest cruise companies operating out of UK ports, 8 now add an auto gratuity to all passengers' on board accounts. Prices range from £4 a day for a standard room with Fred Olsen Cruise Lines to £9.20 a day for a suite with Celebrity Cruises.

While most customers don't begrudge paying tips for good service, Rick Wakeman wonders whether some of these companies are perhaps going a bit 'overboard'...

Royal Caribbean International

Like most international cruise lines Royal Caribbean International has a gratuities policy that allows the high standards of service onboard to be rewarded, and all crew members to benefit.

Royal Caribbean International is a truly global cruise line with guests from many different countries who have varying expectations of tipping, however over 60 percent of UK guests happily pre pay their gratuities in line with the recommended amounts. Almost all guests choose to reward the exceptional standards of service they enjoy.

Royal Caribbean International was sorry to hear Ms Scrivener was unhappy with the service she received for her young baby and as a result gratuities were removed from her bill during her sailing.

For convenience, guests may choose to pre pay gratuities for restaurant and housekeeping services. Alternatively, guests may choose to pay gratuities at the recommended amounts at the end of their cruise.

To add to the further choice for guests, Royal Caribbean International has also created 'My Time Dining' which provides guests the flexibility to dine when they wish in the main dining room. When selecting this dining option, guests are required to pre pay gratuities.

MSC

Service charges are a standard practice in the cruise sector. MSC Cruises implements a hotel service charge system which means that a staff member automatically receives a share of the daily service charge paid by passengers, depending on their position and on the service they provide. MSC Cruises considers that the service charge system is the fairest way to reward all staff members, including those who work behind the scenes. In addition, MSC Cruises does not recommend tipping individual staff members. Although the daily service charge has been calculated in the interest of fair distribution, MSC Cruises believes that the guest is the best judge. Therefore the company is happy to delete the charges for one or more days, should the guest not be entirely satisfied with the level of service received (as in the case of Ms Knights). MSC Cruises believes that it is imperative that a cruise line be transparent as to how onboard tipping works. Accordingly, the company's own policy is fully detailed on its website, in its brochures and in all other documents. It is also available at the Guest Relations Manager's office.

Princess Cruises

"A discretionary hotel and dining charge of $12 per person per day is automatically added to passengers on board accounts. Passengers can choose to amend this amount at any time during their cruise. Details of our tipping policy is clearing laid out in the 'Important cruise information' section in all of our brochures."