Tipping and hints on river cruises

Going on first Viking river cruise-in addition to tipping on ship and tours, what are other costs we have to plan for on and off the ship? We do not drink alcohol, but drink soft drinks, water, and ice tea. Also, how much do you tip on ship and on tours and on the ship, when and how do you tip. I am used to it on ocean cruises, but need some help for river cruises. Also, any little hints for enjoying the river cruises. We have a Veranda A on both river cruises we are going on. Thank you all very much for any info/suggestions.:)

Going on first Viking river cruise-in addition to tipping on ship and tours, what are other costs we have to plan for on and off the ship? We do not drink alcohol, but drink soft drinks, water, and ice tea. Also, how much do you tip on ship and on tours and on the ship, when and how do you tip. I am used to it on ocean cruises, but need some help for river cruises. Also, any little hints for enjoying the river cruises. We have a Veranda A on both river cruises we are going on. Thank you all very much for any info/suggestions.:)

We have done Uniworld (which is all inclusive), Avalon (which we prepaid our gratuities) and just returned from a Vantage trip where the "suggested" gratuities were 10 - 12 Euros per day per person for staff and 4 - 6 Euros per day per person for the concierge and Hotel Manager to be divided according to your preference. You could charge your gratuities to your account or pay in cash. The Concierge & Hotel Manager's gratuities were put into an envelope and given to them personally. As far as the tour guides, we chose to give the driver 2 Euros and the tour guides 4 Euros. We increased the amount if they had been with us the entire day. Again - this is a personal preference and others may have different suggestions. Hope this helps.

Cole

Cole,

Was the tip for the Hotel Manager or for the onboard Program Manager/Cruise Director?

Cole,

Was the tip for the Hotel Manager or for the onboard Program Manager/Cruise Director?

Our Hotel Manager and onboard Program Manager were the same person. He met us and were with us at the hotel in Berlin and were with us until the end of the cruise in Prague. The Concierge was a different person, who also assisted with tours after were on board the ship, but did less than the other since he was also responsible for Port talks and lectures about the history of the area. Very active and knowledgeable young man! We though he deserved more than the Concierge, but of course that would vary depending on responsibilities of each.

Cole

Going on first Viking river cruise-in addition to tipping on ship and tours, what are other costs we have to plan for on and off the ship? We do not drink alcohol, but drink soft drinks, water, and ice tea. Also, how much do you tip on ship and on tours and on the ship, when and how do you tip. I am used to it on ocean cruises, but need some help for river cruises. Also, any little hints for enjoying the river cruises. We have a Veranda A on both river cruises we are going on. Thank you all very much for any info/suggestions.:)

We did our first river cruise last month and it was on Viking. I suggest bringing lots of €1 and €2 coins for those bus driver and tour guide tips. Also 50 cent coins for public restrooms in some places. I hope you get to use your veranda. We were quite chilly outdoors. I did not bring enough warm clothes.

One thing Viking excelled at was water. We were given water bottles as we left the ship for every tour. Our room steward kept fresh mineral water in the room. I drink ice tea and our waiter brought it to me every lunch and dinner. But be warned, it is not fresh brewed. They use some sort of concentrate. Doesn't taste bad though.

Going on first Viking river cruise-in addition to tipping on ship and tours, what are other costs we have to plan for on and off the ship?

In the Information booklet Viking send you beforehand will be the recommended tips and the currency for coach drivers and tour guides, if you want to tip them.

Unlimited wine and soft drinks are included with lunch and dinner. Food in the form of cookies, cakes, croissants are available all day, coffee & teas are available 24 hours, fruit juices in the morning, bottled water in your rooms, bottled water handed out when you go on tours....

If you don't drink spirits or cocktails I can't think what extra you'd pay for on board.

Off ship, maybe you want drink in a coffee shop, buy some souvenirs (tho' here they'll take plastic for all but the smallest items)

Also, how much do you tip on ship and on tours and on the ship, when and how do you tip.

In the Information booklet Viking send you beforehand will be the recommended tips. The Tour Manager will also restate them at the welcome party because a passenger always, it appears, has implored her/him to tell everyone, even tho' they're embarrassed to do so :D

Two lots for on board staff, one for the tour manager, one for rest of staff. A couple of tip envelopes will appear in your room on the last day for you to use if you want to pay cash, and you post the envelopes in a box at reception. Or you can pay with plastic.

You don't need to tip on board during the cruise, no cash is exchanged during the cruise, you sign for extra drinks if you have them.

At the end of the cruise you get a bill for any extras and optional tours and you can pay with plastic and they'll ask if you want to add on the recommended tips.

Our Hotel Manager and onboard Program Manager were the same person. He met us and were with us at the hotel in Berlin and were with us until the end of the cruise in Prague. The Concierge was a different person, who also assisted with tours after were on board the ship, but did less than the other since he was also responsible for Port talks and lectures about the history of the area. Very active and knowledgeable young man! We though he deserved more than the Concierge, but of course that would vary depending on responsibilities of each.

Cole

Interesting. On all our cruises, the Hotel Manager stayed with the ship and was responsible for the department heads on ship's hotel side (housekeeping, food and beverage, kitchen and front desk). I didn't realize that Vantage used a different model.

Don't mean to hijack the thread....but speaking of soda on Viking River Cruise....do they serve Coke or Pepsi?

Thanks!

Going on my first river cruise with Uniworld. I know it states tipping is included for all on board and on shore excursions. Has anyone who has traveled with Uniworld felt obligated to tip anyway. I know that I have paid for the tips in my trip cost. Thank you for your feedback.

LuvSushi,

Our 5 cruises with Viking Coke was served.

Maybe I shouldn't have used the word obligated. Did you feel the need to tip anyway?

Paroe - we went on a Scenic cruise a couple of years and like Uniworld they are all inclusive. The only person we tipped extra was our butler as he was so good to us. First time I've walked off a cruise without owing anything on the bill!

Maybe I shouldn't have used the word obligated. Did you feel the need to tip anyway?

Read through this thread, there is good info on tipping in some of the posts.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2153807

Going on my first river cruise with Uniworld. I know it states tipping is included for all on board and on shore excursions. Has anyone who has traveled with Uniworld felt obligated to tip anyway. I know that I have paid for the tips in my trip cost. Thank you for your feedback.

All tips are indeed included with Uniworld. On our latest cruise, last month, we gave the Maitre D' an additional tip because of the exceptional service he gave us to be sure that my wife's food allergies were avoided in the food she was served even to the point of special, for her only (as far as we know), variations on what she was served.

Get a lot of 1 and 2 euro coins for tips for drivers and local guides.

We did a 7 day Viking River cruise in 2013. Our bill at the end of the cruise was just under 500 euro and more than half of that was the suggested gratuities. We sent laundry out twice, I think (90ish euros). We took an optional tour to Versailles (80ish euros.) Our bar bill (included in the 500 above) was about 60 euros - a soda or sparkling water here or there, before dinner drinks and some after dinner drinks for my husband. We knew one couple who bought a beverage package but it wouldn't have been worth it to us with free beverages at lunch and dinner.

I wish Viking would let you prepay gratuities! As always, we paid down our bill with our leftover euros and charged the rest. Don't do what I did - save enough euros to tip the driver of the bus to the airport.....

My numbers a one are fairly close but I am relying on my memory.

Going on my first river cruise with Uniworld. I know it states tipping is included for all on board and on shore excursions. Has anyone who has traveled with Uniworld felt obligated to tip anyway. I know that I have paid for the tips in my trip cost. Thank you for your feedback.

Maybe I shouldn't have used the word obligated. Did you feel the need to tip anyway?

No, not at all. We've not experienced anyone on our two cruises who was looking for tips. Never felt that it was expected. Enjoy!

This will not be popular, but I feel that a tip of 2€ per day per passenger seems excessive for a Viking program director.

190 passengers * 2€ * 7 days = 2660 € per week. Am I missing something? I assume this is their salary and that they are not paid by Viking, although that is difficult to comprehend. I know of highly skilled professionals in Europe that do not make 2660 € per week. What am I missing here? I am truly trying to gain perspective on this so please share your thoughts.

I completely agree, and posted similar here http://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2183324

Well, although you would think that all (or most) people would tip, I suspect that there are a number of people who do not. River cruises are not like big ship cruises - in that the gratuities are not automatically added to your final bill. You can just put money in an envelope (anonymously) and put it in a box on the desk, or you can add it to your final bill. There is no way of knowing who has (or has not) tipped.

Also, CDs are really on-call 24/7 = they don't work an 8 hr day, 5 days/week like most people. So, if you take the average weekly wage of a person in Europe - and times it x 2 --> how far off is it? And, x2 is really only for the extra 16 hrs/day - not for the extra 2 days they work on a 7 day cruise.

If a CD works 3 weeks in a row, and then takes a week off - they will have worked the same number of days (not hours) that most people work in a month. At most, they can work 9 months/year. But, if they do, that is a lot of time away from their family. So, am guessing most don't.

So, *if* the boat is full, and *if* everyone tips as suggested... and *if* they work for 3 weeks/month x 7 months - they will make a very good wage. But somehow think that this doesn't all come together that easily for the CDs.

We have always paid at least the suggested gratuity - and feel it is money well spent. If you don't want to pay the suggested you don't have to - and no one will be the wiser. Or - book an all-inclusive so that gratuities are included, and you don't have to think about how you will recognize the work the CD does.

I am guessing (and, forgive me here if I am making an assumption that isn't correct) that you are considering NOT paying the suggested amount, as you don't feel that the service this person provides could possibly be as valuable as the service that skilled professionals provide in their chosen field(s).

My suggestion - wait and see the value this person provides (or doesn't) on your cruise. If you are pleased, then tip accordingly. If not, then tip accordingly. But, take the time to fill out your cruise questionnaire - as the CD would not know how he/she could improve the experience if you don't take the time to give constructive comments. I have always said that the CD plays a huge role in your river cruise experience - and you have no control over who actually fills this role on your cruise. Filling out your questionnaire helps the company ensure that the experiences going forward are preserved (if good) or changed (if not).

Tipping (amounts, and whether the people are "worth" the money) is always a hot topic here on cruise critic. At the end of the day, only you can make the decision to tip, how much you will leave.

Fran

Franski nailed it. Perhaps she even understated things as these independent contractors are responsible for taxes that are normally paid by employers.

Seems like this topic comes up from time to time. To be honest, I fail to grasp the mindset that there is a valid reason for "us" to have so much input into how much someone else earns and a need to know how/why they are paid the way they are. The suggested tips for ship's crew and program directors are simply a cost of ones holiday.

The problem with tipping from the standpoint of most people is that we don't know if or how an employee is compensated. These things I know: in the US wait staff are generally paid half of the minimum wage; my beautician is an independent operator who pays rent for her chair; and the bellman pauses a long time after showing off the hotel room. But on a cruise who gets paid what and what are their daily expenses? How do you compensate a hard worker doing the assigned job for no pay as opposed to the hard worker with a salary that pays very well? What does the bus driver get from a company where tips are included and what salary does that same driver get when driving for a company that does not have include tips? So how is the Viking program director (CD) compensated? :confused:

Fran's reply is the best I have read on here about tipping. After 20 river cruises with one more in Oct., I can tell you they are very hard working people. They do not work every week. Example: our Elbe cruise--CD met us at hotel in Berlin and remained with us thru the cruise and our stay in Prague. He then took the train to Berlin had a few days off and picked up the next Berlin-Prague group.. His counterpart did the Prague-Berlin run.

Have seen the CD's console families after a pax suddenly died. Handled telling the rest of the pax so well. Could go on and on about how hard they work.

Only you can determine how much you are willing to tip. Cd's are independent contractors, not employees of the cruise line. At one time the CD's were employees of Viking and still are in China. Don't know if they still are in Europe and Russia.

The rest of the staff on the boat are employees of the cruise line, but probably don't make what many would consider a good salary.

Pat

biker1972 nailed it:

Are we tipping to supplement their income, or are we tipping to reward good attentive service? That's the question that can't always be answered because we aren't in the know.

Cd's are independent contractors, not employees of the cruise line. At one time the CD's were employees of Viking and still are in China. Don't know if they still are in Europe and Russia.

When I'm in Europe on a Viking European owned and operated ship until I see some evidence that the CD is not a Viking employee then I'll take what the Viking brochures and website tells me that those wearing Viking uniforms on a Viking ship are Viking employees and I'll tip approprietly.

At one time the CD's were employees of Viking and still are in China. Don't know if they still are in Europe and Russia.

The guide who is with you throughout the China trips may be considered an 'employee' but is not actually paid by Viking, hence the recommended tipping level.

We were told that 'CD' on the ship portion of the tours is one of the guides who would normally be taking a group from start to finish but they take turns on a rotation at covering the ship instead.