mfs2k

Youve never done a sailaway from New York City I guess. lol

That's worth $20 to me on a 10 day cruise. And definitely worth more to me than a picture in front of a life preserver.

I suspect unsold cabins from agency blocks revert back to the cruiseline 90-120 days before sailing so they can be sold.

I suspect there's a chance if I hand a bartender a $20 bill at a bar I expect to visit frequetly during my cruise, I might get a little better service than he/she might typically give. Maybe not, but that's what I think.

The inherent definition of "gratuities" makes them gratuitous, and thus unequal. If you're referring to mandatory service charges, then that's different.

That's awful. You may have to search manually. I sailed on Carnival Jubilee in 1986. Maybe you'll find my old posts before there was an intenet for mortals.

Another way to look at it is the answer to this question: Do you tip extra for YOU or for the bartender? Many people tip extra at the beginning of a cruise to the bartenders at the bar they expect to visit often. Personally, if I do this, I'm hoping my pours of bourbon on the rocks will be a little more generous than the standardized recipe calls for. They usually are if I know the bartender and they like me. A relationship between a generous tipping customer and a heavy handed bartender is often symbiotic. It benefits both. A bartender who recognizes you and likes you might also save you a few moments and pulll him/her away from their bartender tasks and making your drink. I like when they stop fiddling with the POS terminal and greet me with a smile and my preferred drink placed in my hand.

boom

Maybe it’s a small cliff which will make you late but not injured.

What do you do when you go to a new city for a day? Do you take a tour or explore on your own? I understand why one would want to use a cruise ship tour when you're travelling far from the ship, but for nearby tours, I suggest TripAdvisor for guidance, or google. There's a lot of scare tactics employed by cruiselines to get your to book through them, but if you plan to return to the ship 2 hours or more before departure, you'll likely be fine unless you fall off a cliff or into a ravine.

Haven’t any of you ever worked with tipped servers or bartenders? I’ve worked with many over my entire long career in various positions in the hospitality industry (never cruise lines though) and most are hyper focused on their tips. Maybe it’s different outside the US. I’ve worked with many NYC bartenders who would only be satisfied if an additional tip was left regardless of the policy.

How do you know they don’t have a tiny letdown feeling if they don’t get an extra rip ?

I wonder if the tipping differs based on which port the ship departs from...

I have read many posts about passenger expectations and practices regarding bar tipping, but: I'm curious what the expectation is from the bartender's perspective: They expect an additional tip because most people leave something extra. or They are pleasantly surprised if they get an additional tip because it's unusual. or They're too busy to think about tips. What do you think?

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