First-Ever Viking Cruise coming up.....

I too factored in the cost of "tipping" when setting up a budget for our cruise and plan to tip the suggested amounts with maybe a little extra for anyone who goes "above & beyond".

 

My understanding is that the "pool" tip could be added to your bill at the end of the cruise and paid by credit card. Can the tip for the PD also be added to the bill and paid by cc or must it be in cash? Just trying to be sure I have enough Euros on hand if needed to be in cash.

 

Leaving next Wed (Viking COL - Prague to Paris) - DW & I are really looking forward to our 1st RC and the extra week we will spend in Paris after the cruise is over.

 

Thanks,

 

Bruce

Yes, in Europe that is not a problem.

 

Elsewhere there are different rules in place:

 

"The local guides or tour escorts that travel with you in Southeast Asia, China, Russia and Ukraine and the on board Program Director in Russia and Ukraine do not share in the on board staff gratuities – it is customary to tip them separately and in cash."

I realize that this is a Viking question and answer. I just want newer cruisers to know that not all lines will accept credit cards for the program/cruise director/manager . . . some are cash only.

Ocean cruises do not have as high a rate set and I've always paid in American dollars. Ocean cruises have a better staff to passenger ratio and offer more service.

I don't know when the last time you ocean cruised but in March the suggested gratuity was $12 a day and is increasing to $12.95 in July (Royal Carribbean)

Also we found that service was lacking in many areas.

I don't have a problem tipping for good service.

I just got off of the Viking Kara. You can have both the crew pool tips and the PD tips added to your bill to be paid by CC.

The PD on that trip was excellent. He gave several presentations, in addition to the normal briefing on the next days activities presentation. He was very visible and very active making sure all of the excursions ran as scheduled. He deserved the 2 Euro per day suggested tip amount.

To put it into perspective with a cruise cost of atleast $2800 the 8 days tip amount for the crew of 96 euros ($109) comes to a tip amount of less than 4% of the cruise costs. The amount is in line with the tip amounts being charged by the main stream ocean cruise lines.

There was 54 crew members serving 186 passengers. The service levels were very good, better then I have seen on the main stream ocean cruise lines.

You know, you're right.:rolleyes: I should just cancel my cruise which I booked when the Canadian dollar was at ~1.08 last June, made final payment last December at $1.15 and now it's at ~1.30 to the US$. It makes much more sense to lose $5+K/person just because someone thinks that I should reconsider my trip because my crystal ball wasn't working and I didn't foresee the C$ tanking.

 

I'm guessing you didn't read the rest of my posting, either, when I said that I still planned on tipping. I have never removed the auto tip when I cruise on ocean cruises and I don't plan to for the reasons I gave in my post. However, the suggested rate on Viking is only a suggestion. When I said that I MAY reduce the amount, it would be from 12 Euros to 10 Euros per day. I certainly don't plan on stiffing anyone but tipping is a very personal choice and should always be dependent on the services provided. If the services warrant 12 Euros, that's what will be given. If not, a lesser amount will suffice. YMMV

The good news is that while the Canadian dollar is weaker compared to the US Dollar, the Euro is even weaker. A Canadian dollar is actual more valuable against the Euro today then it was last June.

I just got off of the Viking Kara. You can have both the crew pool tips and the PD tips added to your bill to be paid by CC. The PD on that trip was excellent. He deserved the 2 Euro per day suggested tip amount. To put it into perspective with a cruise cost of at least $2800, the 8 days tip amount for the crew of 96 euros ($109) comes to a tip amount of less than 4% of the cruise costs. The amount is in line with the tip amounts being charged by the main stream ocean cruise lines.

RDC: We are on a 7-day Viking Var Rhine cruise in November from Prague (Nurenburg) to Koln (Frankfurt). Does your $109 total tips also include the PD and or Concierge? :confused:

I don't do math. :eek:

Also, we are staying with the Viking 3-day Prague pre-cruise and the Koln 2-day post-cruise. Are we supposed to tip the Viking folks in the hotels? What about the bellmen?

RDC: We are on a 7-day Viking Var Rhine cruise in November from Prague (Nurenburg) to Koln (Frankfurt). Does your $109 total tips also include the PD and or Concierge? :confused:

I don't do math. :eek:

 

Also, we are staying with the Viking 3-day Prague pre-cruise and the Koln 2-day post-cruise. Are we supposed to tip the Viking folks in the hotels? What about the bellmen?

The 96 Euro ($109) was the crew pool tip amount for 8 days. The PD tip was another 16 Euro ($18).

Thanks!

I'll bring $130 in Euros for the ship tips. :D

Also, we are staying with the Viking 3-day Prague pre-cruise and the Koln 2-day post-cruise. Are we supposed to tip the Viking folks in the hotels? What about the bellmen? :confused:

Thanks!

I'll bring $130 in Euros for the ship tips. :D

Also, we are staying with the Viking 3-day Prague pre-cruise and the Koln 2-day post-cruise. Are we supposed to tip the Viking folks in the hotels? What about the bellmen? :confused:

I have not seen any recommendations concerning those folks. My view is that the Viking people in the hotel are primarily there for if problems come up or to act like a concierge. If I use their services beyond just the arrival and departure I might tip. I do tip bellmen if they bring bags up to my room (if I had them stored while waiting for a room to be available), but otherwise don't.

Pretty much up to individual tastes and habits.

Thanks! ;)

Tips on Viking are completely up to you.

 

While they 'suggest' a tip amount they do not add them to your account, your account will only have drinks if you order them form the bar. Bear in mind, there areunlimited red and white wines*, beer and soft drinks with lunch and dinner, complimentery fizz with welcome meeting and sometimes drinks with other events.

 

Viking have envelopes at reception at the end of the trip into which you can put whatever you feel appropriate, seal and leave in a box at reception, or you can pay with a credit card.

 

If you don't want to tip anything, then the only person who will know is yourself.

 

(at the weclome reception the programme manager will pretend to be embarrased and say they'be 'been asked by a passenger' about amount to tip. phooey)

 

*much better than I expected, they are not cheap plonk, they're from Viking's own wnery in the Wachau Valley, Austria. The white is Gruner Veltliner and red Zweigelt. And you can bring on board as many drinks as you like, so we were gettng wines from wineries and wine shops we visited on that trip and having them with dinner. No corkage, no problem. (I'm into my wine)

Is this information still accurate?

Yes.... no one will call the police if you don't tip, however there is a suggested amount and the crew works extremely hard for you.

It will be interesting to see how Viking acknowledges tips on my upcoming cruise. At the time of booking they were offering a choice of either prepaid tips, $300 in OBC or the beverage package. As my wife

drinks little and I will only have a rare drink outside of meal time, the gratuity package looked like the best deal. I wonder how much Viking adds in and how the staff is made aware of this. Anyone ever cruised Viking with this package?

Does anyone recall what Viking's recommended tips are?:D

Here is the Viking tipping FAQ

The tips for the tour director and staff are placed in an envelope which you drop off at the end of your tour. In reality you can tip what you feel is appropriate. No one is auditing you.

I have no problem tipping for great service. In addition we made sure to discreetly personally tip our wait staff since we dined with the same group at the same table almost every night.

It will be interesting to see how Viking acknowledges tips on my upcoming cruise. At the time of booking they were offering a choice of either prepaid tips, $300 in OBC or the beverage package. As my wife

drinks little and I will only have a rare drink outside of meal time, the gratuity package looked like the best deal. I wonder how much Viking adds in and how the staff is made aware of this. Anyone ever cruised Viking with this package?

I am in the same situation with prepaid tips so am also looking forward to hearing how this is handled.

It will be interesting to see how Viking acknowledges tips on my upcoming cruise. At the time of booking they were offering a choice of either prepaid tips, $300 in OBC or the beverage package. As my wife

drinks little and I will only have a rare drink outside of meal time, the gratuity package looked like the best deal. I wonder how much Viking adds in and how the staff is made aware of this. Anyone ever cruised Viking with this package?

We have three trips coming up this year on Viking. On each of them we chose the free gratuities option. So regardless of what we are told, we will take any envelopes given to us and throw them away.

However, as we always like to do even when we do put tips in the envelope, we will pick out some people who gave us extra service and tip them each a $20 bill handed directly to them on the last full day of the cruise.