cash tips?

[zhuskers1]

Sailing on Solstice in 5 days. First time on Celebrity.

 

Do you need cash for tips? If so where and when?

 

OR is it all done on your account? I would prefer not to carry cash around and just add it to my bill.

 

Thanks in advance

[jgnova]

Celebrity includes a daily gratuity on your sea pass account. We left ours on there but calculated how much each person we would tip personally got from that and added what we thought was an appropriate amount in cash. Guest Relations has tip envelopes. I don't know if you can add to the automatic amounts -- I think you can but you have to do that before the last few days. You also may want to give cash tips in addition to the automatic tips to bar servers -- we generally added a dollar in cash for each drink. So you might want a reasonable amount of smaller bills to go with the auto-tips.

 

Have a great time!

 

S

[jackdiamond]

I would concur in S and J's observations.

[zhuskers1]

Thanks!!

 

I was wondering if it was customary to cash bartenders and servers with cash in addition to the tips added to your account.

 

 

We have 20" of snow on the ground, 6 to 9 more expected in the next 24 hours, and :eek:20 below:eek: temps forcasted for Thursday. WE ARE READY TO GO!!!

[jd1966]

Even though the tips are automatically added to your bill, they give you receipts and envelopes (if you wish) for additional tipping. I've never given the bar staff more than the 15% that is automatically added to the tab.

 

The weather is the penalty for living in Nebraska!

[dzcruisers]

We usually take a package of 50 one dollar bills. These come in handy for tipping for room service.

I've never tipped the bar service extra but then we don't get that many drinks. If we ask for something really putting someone to some extra work we tip a buck or so. Like in the buffet when they have to go to the dining room to get my special lactose free milk.

On Caribbean cruises those dollars come in handy to have the correct change in port.

 

If our dinnig room staff and room steward have done a superb job then we tip them extra.

 

We always leave the auto tips on. It's a minimum and is so convenient to do it that way! Saves me the job of having to get envelopes and figure things out. I'm happy they do it.

 

Enjoy your cruise.

[teajak]

Thanks!!

 

I was wondering if it was customary to cash bartenders and servers with cash in addition to the tips added to your account.

 

 

We have 20" of snow on the ground, 6 to 9 more expected in the next 24 hours, and :eek:20 below:eek: temps forcasted for Thursday. WE ARE READY TO GO!!!

We feel that the 15% gratuity added to each drink is a fair tip and only add to that for above and beyond service.Personal choice.We also take $1. for room service, elite in Michaels club and any other services.

[kentalope]

No NEED to tip with cash.

 

However I do the automatic tips and then give extra cash.

 

I usually will give the steward $20 when I first meet them along with any special requests I have. I then leave the $5-$10 cash somewhere in the middle of the cruise and then another $20 cash at the end of the cruise.

 

I tip the waiters extra cash at the end of the cruise.

 

I tip bartenders an extra buck or two in cash per round (usually my rounds are only 1-2 drinks). If we are at a bar where we plan on staying for a while I may throw them a $5 or $10 tip on the first round.

 

If I find a particular bar I am partial to and plan on visiting often I will find out if the same bartender will be working there on a regular basis. If so I may slide them an extra $20. I know that this may seem like a lot but believe me where the bartenders are concerned it can be a very good investment. They WILL recognize you from then on and you may just receive extra attentive service and superior product.;)

 

Besides these people are busting their butts for not much money so I like the idea of being able to to give them cash so they can put it in their own pocket. I'm not sure what percentage of the automatic tips the service providers actually see.

 

But that's just me. I don't feel obligated to tip extra. I just like to. It makes me feel good. I pretty much over-tip everywhere. Not just on vacation.

 

But if you don't want to carry cash (which is totally understandable) they will be more than happy to apply an extra tip to you account.

 

In the end it is up to you. Don't sweat it either way. Just go and have a great time.

 

Ken

[zhuskers1]

Thanks to all!:)

 

Great input.

 

If someone give me good service - I like to provide them with a generous tip.

 

Thanks again

[teajak]

We feel that the 15% gratuity added to each drink is a fair tip and only add to that for above and beyond service.Personal choice.We also take $1. for room service, elite in Michaels club and any other services.

I didn't mean $1 for room service but dollar bills for service tips. When I read this it looked funny, senior moment.

[TPKeller]

It's been a while since I've mentioned it here, now that Celebrity has gone to auto tipping there is little need. But... if you want to just get an idea of what the auto tips will be, either for budgeting, or if you want to play around with adding a little more in, feel free to use the Cruise Tip Calculator.

 

The concept for it was born in my cabin on my first cruise, the Century, when I thought to myself, "nobody should have to do this much math on a cruise vacation!" :)

 

Theron