More questions regarding tipping

[Moondoggy51]

I realize that there is a standard or suggested tipping amount automatically charged but when is it recommended to tip above and beyond the suggested amount. For example do you leave an extra tip for cleaning your room and making your bed or is this included in the standard tip? Can someone give me some examples of when tipping is suggested? Also what about tipping on excursions? If you say take a tour or go snorkeling should you tip or not?

[Toto2Kansas]

We tip extra (above the auto grautity) only when certain service provided goes above and beyond the norm. If our room steward has provided several 'extra' services throughout the cruise, then at the end of the cruise, we will tip them extra. But we don't tip during, only at the end of the voyage.

 

Tours, all depends. If the tour was wonderful and the tour guide was exceptional, then yes, we tip them. If they are just average, many times we do not.

[Pam in CA]

I realize that there is a standard or suggested tipping amount automatically charged but when is it recommended to tip above and beyond the suggested amount. For example do you leave an extra tip for cleaning your room and making your bed or is this included in the standard tip? Can someone give me some examples of when tipping is suggested? Also what about tipping on excursions? If you say take a tour or go snorkeling should you tip or not?

When onboard the ship, I tip extra only when the steward or waitstaff has gone beyond my expectations and fulfilled special requests. Your auto-tip includes cleaning your cabin, making your bed, serving you a meal, etc. If you ask for an egg crate, ask for a dish to be specially prepared or modified just for you, or make other special requests, then I think an extra tip is justified.

 

On excursions, I tip depending on the length of the tour, how much the tour guide has done, etc. but generally, I tip $2-3 for a half-day tour and about $5 for an all-day tour. That's for one person. If it's an information-intensive tour, the guide has taken us to the front of the line or gotten to wherever we're going so we're the first to enjoy it, or the driver has done a lot of driving, I tip more.

[Toddy709]

I consider myself a very "average" tipper. It seems the service is almost always above expectations so we usually tip extra. We have been fortunate to always have excellent room stewards and leave them $20 to $40 extra at the end of the cruise for a seven day.

 

We always do anytime dining and have not left extra there.

 

For Specialty dining, we usually leave $20 if everything was excellent (which it always has been).

 

Shore excursions we leave between $10 and $20 (for two) depending on length and service.

[uppitycats]

I realize that there is a standard or suggested tipping amount automatically charged but when is it recommended to tip above and beyond the suggested amount. For example do you leave an extra tip for cleaning your room and making your bed or is this included in the standard tip? Can someone give me some examples of when tipping is suggested? Also what about tipping on excursions? If you say take a tour or go snorkeling should you tip or not?

 

 

These are at least some of what the room steward(s) should do automatically (and so be covered by the standard tip): clean the cabin daily. Come in (at least) twice a day and "freshen" up the cabin -- if you've messed up the bed, they'll fix it mid-day, then turn back the covers at night while you're at dinnerp; give you fresh towels whenever they find "used" linens; take away any dishes you might have left there from room service; clean up any mess you might have made; fill your ice bucket; make sure you have toiletries.

 

Obviously the waiters should be efficient about serving your meals, and not make any obvious mistakes (bring stuff you didn't order, or confuse the orders). They should keep your water glass full, if you've requested water, your coffee cup filled -- all the "usual" sorts of things you might expect from a good-quality dining experience.

 

It's when they do EXTRA stuff -- bring extra linens, extra pillows, find extra furniture (like chairs), re-arrange the furniture, do other things at your request, that you might consider tipping extra.

 

We generally tip the stewards $20 or so extra. With the flexible dining option (we always choose flexible dining), we'll tip extra at the meal if we've asked for something unusual, or asked to have food prepared differently, or otherwise made some special requests.