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Tipping?


emee_18
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Hi,

 

Can anyone share what they have done with regards to tipping on an Australian ship? I know that gratuities are added overseas but not here but not sure how or if it is done in wanting to tip room staff etc?

 

Going on Pacific Jewel

 

Thanks

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Staff on P&O are not paid Australian award rates. This probably applies to other lines as well. No unions on these ships. Gratuities on P&O Australia are included in the original price of the ticket and are distributed to all staff on board including the ones you never see. They are not listed separately so I don't know how much it is.

 

You are encouraged to give personal tips to any of the staff who you think do a good job including cabin stewards, waiters and anyone else who you have contact with. I have heard that these staff receive lower wages because they do receive tips from passengers. However this is not compulsory but greatly appreciated by the staff who generally work 8 months on and 4 months off. These staff work 7 days a week and do not always get shore time.

 

I just got off the Jewel this morning and my cabin steward couldn't get shore time due to working hours. His hours were 6.00am to 3.00pm and then 6.00pm to 9.30pm 7 days a week.

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Other than higher-end staff and entertainers, many staff are paid low wages. There are various arguments for and against this which is beyond the topic of this thread. However, with their low wages, they most definitely appreciate a tip. Tipping is certainly not limited to US passengers! We tip and so do all our friends and family who cruise.

 

How much we tip is not pre-planned. It is dependent on the individual - not bending over backwards like they're a slave - but providing a quality service and being pleasant. We often tip our room steward $20-$30 and a lesser amount to our food and drinks waiters.

 

When you tip is also optional. Tip at the very start and you may tip someone who you later wish you hadn't tipped. Tip two or three days in when you've experienced their good service and you have the added benefit of having an extremely appreciate staff member for the rest of the cruise - a win/win situation.

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there is no need to tip. On P & O ships the staff are paid, not reliant on tips to remunerate them. Tipping is not expected and unlikely to be done by anyone other than USA passengers.

 

Would have to disagree with you sweetp12. I have cruised on Princess, P&O, Carnival, Royal Caribbean and P&O UK from Sydney on Ships where tips are both included and excluded in the fares depending on which line and we have always tipped our cabin stewards, dining room waiters at the conclusion of each cruise, and the overwhelming majority of friends and family that cruise do the same. We are all Australians not Americans.

Not large amounts of money but it is always appreciated by the staff.

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I agree with you Wyuna1. My friends and I always tip our cabin stewards and any dining staff if we have the same table for the cruise. I even tipped the Shore Tour officer on my first cruise who I thought did a sterling job when everything seemed to go wrong with maiden visits to some small ports. She was overwhelmed but couldn't wipe the smile off her face.

 

Perhaps it is a generational thing with oldies more likely to tip than youngsters. Couldn't imagine my children tipping!!!!

 

I buy a cup of coffee every day on land and when I cruise I give the equivalent expenditure to my cabin steward. That's how I rationalise it.

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I agree with you Wyuna1. My friends and I always tip our cabin stewards and any dining staff if we have the same table for the cruise. I even tipped the Shore Tour officer on my first cruise who I thought did a sterling job when everything seemed to go wrong with maiden visits to some small ports. She was overwhelmed but couldn't wipe the smile off her face.

 

Perhaps it is a generational thing with oldies more likely to tip than youngsters. Couldn't imagine my children tipping!!!!

 

I buy a cup of coffee every day on land and when I cruise I give the equivalent expenditure to my cabin steward. That's how I rationalise it.

I fully agree on that point!

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  • 10 months later...

as we were extremely embarrased by our teenage children who invited friends back to there cabin they then proceded to order room service and had a food fight we tipped both cabin stewards $400 each they deserved it we also made the children help with the cleaning

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  • 2 months later...

When I cruised in September 17 there were cards on the tables around the ship, you could fill in the crew members name, which area they worked and what you liked about their service. From my understanding the more the crew member receives the better the level they achieve giving them bonus'. Anyway I filled in three of these two for wait staff that went above and beyond and one for our steward.

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