Tipping, cabin safes

Reading some of the topics on here has left me with some questions.

Has anyone ever had anything stolen from their cabin safe? I always stored my stuff- cash, phones, passports , in there and never gave it a second thought. But now I am worrying that perhaps they are not really as “safe” as I thought. I know a carnival employee can open them as I once lost the card I was using to open the safe (it was the kind you had to use a magnetic strip card to open) and the carnival employee came in and opened it right up for me and reset it.

Is there a lot of safe theft going on?

As for tipping, I always leave the automatic gratuities in place as well as tipping extra those that deserve extra, but one thing has always bothered me. How do we know the cruise line even gives all this gratuity money to the workers? For all we know they don’t and it just goes into the corporate bigwigs coffers.

This is why I always tip extra. I don’t trust the company to actually distribute all this money they are collecting as gratuities. Or maybe they distribute some, but skim a little off the top to line their own pockets. Who knows? Or has someone actually looked into this and had it verified that every penny collected as a gratuity actually goes out to a crew member.

I also read that if you remove the auto gratuities and just tip cash directly to a person, they are required to turn that cash over for redistribution amongst all gratuity subsidized employees. Do they actually do that? How would anyone know? If I gave my room steward $40 how would anyone know? I would expect that they could just say they did not receive anything.

Anyway, I agree with others and wish tipping was just included as fare. I always give extra but am always left wondering did I leave enough? Did I leave too little? Did I leave someone out? One time I tipped my room steward at the beginning of the cruise because I had an extra request (wanted ice) and I gave him $40 at the beginning....never saw him again. He was the worst steward I ever had and I wished I hadn’t given him the extra $40 up front.

The default open code for the safe is 5 or 6 zeroes usually. Not safe.

In all my cruises I have never had anything go missing from the safe or the room for that matter. As for the employee’s ability to open the safe... how else would one get in? I would get just like in a hotel there are vetted employees that hold the special card to get into the safe.

Tipping is automatic for me and makes no difference if included in the fair. The service industry is grueling and even the amount we pay in cruise tips is not enough for what these workers put up with.

I really never thought that Carnival would Skim off the top. Just don’t make business sense to me. Just my humble opinion.

Happy cruising.

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… One time I tipped my room steward at the beginning of the cruise because I had an extra request (wanted ice) and I gave him $40 at the beginning....never saw him again. He was the worst steward I ever had and I wished I hadn’t given him the extra $40 up front.

Depending on the country your steward came from, it is possible he saw your upfront tip as an insult. If you placed that tip in his hand, face to face, he also may have thought you were expecting his to do something that was outside of his stated duties. You may know what you wanted; but he/she may have not.

Ramona

Never had any issue with theft. In fact, on our MSC cruise last month our safe was broken and wouldn't close at all for the first two days. Had documents, cash, watch, and jewelry in plain site if you opened the closet. Nothing was ever touched by the steward.

You should have also noticed that it was the Head of Housekeeping or Security that came and opened your safe and you had to be there as well as sign. Only designated people have the “Master Card” for lack of a better term. The regular Room Stewards are unable to get access to your safe. I have had this happen a few times myself and each time it’s been the same.

I agree that the safe is not that big a risk- I've used it on every cruise and about half the time it's closed, but not locked !!!

As for tipping, I asked this question of my room steward that I'd gotten to know well enough to ask a few cruises ago... he told me that he knows exactly how much he's entitled to in gratuities (# of pax x $12.95 per day) plus they are aware of how many passengers remove tips (the room steward wouldn't tell me if they knew WHO removed tips, just how many during a cruise remove them, although they may know WHO as well- he just didn't say). And he said there would be mutiny on the ship (my word, not his LOL!) if the company tried to stiff them on gratuities, since they all count on this as the majority of their income. They may jerk them around in other ways (give them extra cabins to clean, remove granted days off for infractions) but not when it comes to money.

The safe is safe....no worries. Yes, the head of security can get in, if need be, but if anything went missing, guess who'd be looked at first? You stuff will be safe in the safe.

The safe: When you have a problem, you will get help to open it, 99.9% of the time, security accompanies the employee that opens it.

Tips: Carnival employees THOUSANDS of employees that rely on their tips. STOP buying the trolls that tell you Carnival cheats the employees out of their rightful tips. If that was the case, those employees would run, not walk, to other cruise lines.

The safe: When you have a problem, you will get help to open it, 99.9% of the time, security accompanies the employee that opens it.

Tips: Carnival employees THOUSANDS of employees that rely on their tips. STOP buying the trolls that tell you Carnival cheats the employees out of their rightful tips. If that was the case, those employees would run, not walk, to other cruise lines.

Agreed

Reading some of the topics on here has left me with some questions.

 

Has anyone ever had anything stolen from their cabin safe? I always stored my stuff- cash, phones, passports , in there and never gave it a second thought. But now I am worrying that perhaps they are not really as “safe” as I thought. I know a carnival employee can open them as I once lost the card I was using to open the safe (it was the kind you had to use a magnetic strip card to open) and the carnival employee came in and opened it right up for me and reset it.

 

Is there a lot of safe theft going on?

 

As for tipping, I always leave the automatic gratuities in place as well as tipping extra those that deserve extra, but one thing has always bothered me. How do we know the cruise line even gives all this gratuity money to the workers? For all we know they don’t and it just goes into the corporate bigwigs coffers.

 

This is why I always tip extra. I don’t trust the company to actually distribute all this money they are collecting as gratuities. Or maybe they distribute some, but skim a little off the top to line their own pockets. Who knows? Or has someone actually looked into this and had it verified that every penny collected as a gratuity actually goes out to a crew member.

 

I also read that if you remove the auto gratuities and just tip cash directly to a person, they are required to turn that cash over for redistribution amongst all gratuity subsidized employees. Do they actually do that? How would anyone know? If I gave my room steward $40 how would anyone know? I would expect that they could just say they did not receive anything.

 

Anyway, I agree with others and wish tipping was just included as fare. I always give extra but am always left wondering did I leave enough? Did I leave too little? Did I leave someone out? One time I tipped my room steward at the beginning of the cruise because I had an extra request (wanted ice) and I gave him $40 at the beginning....never saw him again. He was the worst steward I ever had and I wished I hadn’t given him the extra $40 up front.

The safes can only be opened by security.

John Heald has answered many times that all cash is kept 100% by the crew, whether tips are removed or not.

Last, if you handed your steward $40 and never saw him again, why didn't you adjust your auto gratuity by that then?

There is no problem at all with the safes. I don't know why we are even discussing this. NO one goes into your safe to steal things!

As for tips, that has been discussed to death!! We think of them as part of the cost of the cruise and then often give extra!! We feel lucky to be able to afford lovely vacations and know that the crew works very hard and can use any extra money they get! Carnival Corporation is doing very well and does NOT need to steal from its employees!!

Depending on the country your steward came from, it is possible he saw your upfront tip as an insult. If you placed that tip in his hand, face to face, he also may have thought you were expecting his to do something that was outside of his stated duties. You may know what you wanted; but he/she may have not.

 

Ramona

Please post the link to that myth. There is no country that believes that. Crew are well versed in guests and tip habits.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/tips/how-to-tip-when-youre-traveling-abroad/ss-BBDPLqV#image=2

I agree that the safe is not that big a risk- I've used it on every cruise and about half the time it's closed, but not locked !!!

 

As for tipping, I asked this question of my room steward that I'd gotten to know well enough to ask a few cruises ago... he told me that he knows exactly how much he's entitled to in gratuities (# of pax x $12.95 per day) plus they are aware of how many passengers remove tips (the room steward wouldn't tell me if they knew WHO removed tips, just how many during a cruise remove them, although they may know WHO as well- he just didn't say). And he said there would be mutiny on the ship (my word, not his LOL!) if the company tried to stiff them on gratuities, since they all count on this as the majority of their income. They may jerk them around in other ways (give them extra cabins to clean, remove granted days off for infractions) but not when it comes to money.

They do know. It isn't confidential information and Guest Services aren't sworn to secrecy. And, they all live together.. Like any other employees, they are sharing who is the PITA and which PITA has already pulled thier tips.

Please post the link to that myth. There is no country that believes that. Crew are well versed in guests and tip habits.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/tips/how-to-tip-when-youre-traveling-abroad/ss-BBDPLqV#image=2

No link but I'm familiar with a case in NYC (hotel) which a lawyer who attended my church took on a sexual assault case against a very famous financial official heading an international monetary fund. I also know people who work(ed) in the hotel industry as housekeepers and have lots of stories of people leaving pre-tips and expecting/assuming everything.

Ramona

No link but I'm familiar with a case in NYC (hotel) which a lawyer who attended my church took on a sexual assault case against a very famous financial official heading an international monetary fund. I also know people who work(ed) in the hotel industry as housekeepers and have lots of stories of people leaving pre-tips and expecting/assuming everything.

 

Ramona

So, someone made something up and you are quoting it as fact? And yeah, the offered gratuity is indeed an indication that requests will be made, that said request is expected to be done and there will be compensation for such effect. Welcome to the way the world works. This book is an excellant read in how high end hotels work https://www.amazon.com/Heads-Beds-Reckless-So-Called-Hospitality/dp/1101973749

So, someone made something up and you are quoting it as fact? And yeah, the offered gratuity is indeed an indication that requests will be made, that said request is expected to be done and there will be compensation for such effect. Welcome to the way the world works. This book is an excellant read in how high end hotels work https://www.amazon.com/Heads-Beds-Reckless-So-Called-Hospitality/dp/1101973749

Not made up but if you believe that there is nothing I can do and I won't belabor the point. The person the lawyer challenged use to be head of the IMF. The lawyer went on to become the Brooklyn (NYC) District Attorney. I'm sure you can find the info through Google. The man just had a passion for justice.

Ramona

The default open code for the safe is 5 or 6 zeroes usually. Not safe.

How do you enter that into a card-swipe safe again?

Reading some of the topics on here has left me with some questions.

 

Has anyone ever had anything stolen from their cabin safe? I always stored my stuff- cash, phones, passports , in there and never gave it a second thought. But now I am worrying that perhaps they are not really as “safe” as I thought. I know a carnival employee can open them as I once lost the card I was using to open the safe (it was the kind you had to use a magnetic strip card to open) and the carnival employee came in and opened it right up for me and reset it.

 

Is there a lot of safe theft going on?

 

As for tipping, I always leave the automatic gratuities in place as well as tipping extra those that deserve extra, but one thing has always bothered me. How do we know the cruise line even gives all this gratuity money to the workers? For all we know they don’t and it just goes into the corporate bigwigs coffers.

 

This is why I always tip extra. I don’t trust the company to actually distribute all this money they are collecting as gratuities. Or maybe they distribute some, but skim a little off the top to line their own pockets. Who knows? Or has someone actually looked into this and had it verified that every penny collected as a gratuity actually goes out to a crew member.

 

I also read that if you remove the auto gratuities and just tip cash directly to a person, they are required to turn that cash over for redistribution amongst all gratuity subsidized employees. Do they actually do that? How would anyone know? If I gave my room steward $40 how would anyone know? I would expect that they could just say they did not receive anything.

 

Anyway, I agree with others and wish tipping was just included as fare. I always give extra but am always left wondering did I leave enough? Did I leave too little? Did I leave someone out? One time I tipped my room steward at the beginning of the cruise because I had an extra request (wanted ice) and I gave him $40 at the beginning....never saw him again. He was the worst steward I ever had and I wished I hadn’t given him the extra $40 up front.

What makes you think if the gratuity was included in the fare that the cruise line wouldn't skim some off the top ? I don't see a difference.

As far as I am concerned, I leave the gratuities on . What happens after that is between the employees and the cruise line. Not my concern.

If they were getting cheated I am sure they'd go work at a different cruise line.

Bill

We leave cash is one of the drawers for fast access.

No problems in 22 cruises.

 

Anyway, I agree with others and wish tipping was just included as fare. I always give extra but am always left wondering did I leave enough? Did I leave too little? Did I leave someone out? One time I tipped my room steward at the beginning of the cruise because I had an extra request (wanted ice) and I gave him $40 at the beginning....never saw him again. He was the worst steward I ever had and I wished I hadn’t given him the extra $40 up front.

So prepay the tips when you book, leave them alone on the ship and consider it done

Pre paying tips is easier for me. How they split them isn't my concern. Throughout the cruise I'll tip here and there (Steakhouse, MDR Maitre D, casino, bars etc) and the cabin steward always gets extra on the last day.

I don't use the cabin safe since I don't take anything of value on a cruise that would need to be locked up...LOL If I did need to use it however, I wouldn't give it a second thought not to.

We've only been on two cruises so far but have had no trouble. Kept the cash and credit cards in the safe, and shut the cameras up in a cabinet.

For tipping, of course we left the gratuities on (that's their base salary). Then I would leave out 5 dollars a day for the steward -- with a note, because it's not fair to make people guess if the money is for them! Other people probably tip more but on the other hand we're extremely neat so I hope it balances out. (Also I make a note of the steward's name, and any other crew member who's helpful, to include in the survey we get after the cruise.)

Also included a stack of ones to tip room service 2 dollars when they bring breakfast. And I tip the excursion guides 10 dollars. Those folks work their tails off.

I don't trust a lot of people in a lot of places. Carnival room stewards are not one of those people. They are not stupid enough to take your money.

We've never had anything stolen from our cabin. We accidentally left the safe unlocked & nothing was missing. I doubt anyone will risk their job stealing. And where would they go? There's only so many places to hide stolen goods on the ship. It's not like they could leave when at sea and not so sure that many get to leave to go into port.