Tipping question, please forgive my ignorance...

[LastofSeptember]

DH and I have only cruised once before in Sept 03 for our honeymoon. We didn't know what we were doing as far as tipping went ( and apparently still don't), so when we got on the ship we were watching the shipboard television which gave the tipping guildelines (this was on RCCL), so each day we left the appropriate amt on the bed, and next to our place setting as it was indicated we should do, then at the end of the cruise we were accosted when we didn't leave a large "lump sum" tip when the tipping envelopes were given to us...Needless to say we felt really confused. Now that we're 34 days to our next cruise (but who's counting?) we are starting to get nervous about this all over again. DH says he doesn't want to go through that again and he'll just tip at the end. I am thinking that I keep hearing that the tips are going to be charged to our S&S card, so we'll automatically be prepaid anyways, so we would only have to tip if we though additional tip was warranted, I am thinking we're going to go through this whole ordeal all over again, and I'd really rather avoid it...Does anyone have any thoughts on this? I am sure this is a highly discussed topic, but when I searched for it, I couldn't find the remedy for precisely what I am describing...

[emeraldlover]

Carnival will charge $10 per day, per person to your sign & sail and then they will distribute the tips to your room steward, waiters/waitress, etc. For a 7 day cruise for 2 this amounts to $140. When you purchase drinks on board, they charge the amount of the drink to your sign and sail and add gratuity.

 

On our last cruise (on the Triumph Christmas '03), they never added the amount for tips to our sign and sail. We then had to go to the purser's desk in the morning before departing in order to have the tips put on. I wonder how many people they didn't add tips on, and the people just figured they saved $140?

 

Hope this helps.

 

Melissa

[StacyandTim]

My hubby and I cruised in Feb 2002 on Carnival's Elation. I keep a journal of our cruises, and this is what we paid AT THE END of the week. We didn't tip at all during the week because we knew the infamous "envelopes" would show up at the end.

 

Room Steward: $45.00

Assistant Waiter: $28.00

Waiter: $50.00

Maitre D: $20.00

 

Total Tips: $143.00

 

Hope this helps!

 

Stacy

[StacyandTim]

By the way....our tips weren't added to our sign and sail on that cruise, so we just put cash in the envelopes.

 

Stacy

[Donnask8pro]

We just returned from Miracle. Tips for the week immediately go on your S&S. You'll see 70 per person per week. If you want to tip extra the pursers desk will have envelopes for you at the end of the week. Hand it directly to whomever. We tipped extra to Cabin Steward, Waiter and Help. And camp Carnival. I tipped cabin steward 20 at the beginning and 20 at the end in addition to my 70. He was awesome, wait until the end and give to whomever you felt did their job over and above. But its not necessary. Up to you.

[Aleciajoyful1]

We have tipped on the last evening as suggested. I did have all of the cash in an envelope ready to go before I left home. It made things easier on the last night and I did not have to worry about having enough money at the end of the cruise.

[StacyandTim]

Awesome idea Alecia! I think I'm going to distribute my tip money ahead of time also. Does sound like it makes things easier!

 

Thanks for the "tip"! *smiles*

 

Stacy

[LastofSeptember]

That's what I want to do too, but if they charge it to your acct at the beginning of the cruise what is the point?

[StacyandTim]

Well, like I said, they never charged the $10 per day per person to my S&S, and I scanned that bill with a fine tooth comb once it arrived under my door the last day.

 

I think I'll still distribute my tips ahead of time just in case, and if they end up charging it to my S&S, I'll just be going home with $140 in my pocket! :)

 

Stacy

[MyImagination]

That's what I want to do too, but if they charge it to your acct at the beginning of the cruise what is the point?

 

Many people were also in the same position as you. That was one of the reasons they implemented auto tipping. So basically you dont have to do anything and your tipping will be taken care of. If you use room service a $1 or $2 tip is appreciated.

 

 

Here is the tipping guidelines from the carnival site

http://www.carnival.com/CMS/FAQs/Gratuities_Tips.aspx

 

 

What is the tipping policy onboard?Guests can pay their shipboard gratuities in one of two ways:

 

1. Reverse Gratuity Policy - For our guests' convenience, we automatically add the recommended gratuities to the onboard Sail & Sign account on embarkation day.

 

Guests will have the discretion to adjust these gratuities based upon the level of service received during the cruise. This includes the option to adjust gratuities (up or down) for any individual on the Dining or Housekeeping staff. In order to do so, the guest will need to visit the Information Desk on board.

 

2. Pre-Paid Gratuity Policy - Gratuities are pre-arranged and paid at the time of booking or any time up to two weeks prior to the sail date.

 

All guests on each booking must prepay the gratuities, with the exception of children under two. The pre-paid gratuities can not be removed once the booking has been ticketed. The guest will not have the option to adjust the gratuities (up or down) based on the level of service received during the cruise.

 

The dollar amount of the gratuities will appear in the Miscellaneous Charge field on the booking. The guest copy on the cruise ticket will indicate if gratuities have been paid.

 

The total amount will be $10 per guest, per day, which breaks down as follows:

 

 

• $5.50 pp/pd for Dining Team Service (Headwaiter and Waiter)
  
• $1 pp/pd for Bistro Service (Waiter/Cooks)
  
• $3.50 pp/pd for Cabin Services (Cabin Steward)
  

Tipping the Maitre D' is strictly at guest's discretion, based upon services rendered. For guests who wish to extend this gratuity in cash, an envelope will be available on the last evening of the cruise.

 

Tipping still applies regardless of the dining options selected, such as eating at the casual dining restaurant or utilizing room service.

 

Bar Waiters, Deck Stewards and Bell Boys - Certain personnel, as noted above, may be tipped as service is rendered. A 15% gratuity is automatically added to beverage purchases which the guest may adjust appropriate to the service received.

 

Note: Guests under two years of age are not required to extend gratuities.

[StaceyM]

You can also call your TA or PVP and tell them you want to prepay your tips now and avoid the whole scenario when you get on the cruise. Of course, you can also tip extra at the end of the cruise to whom ever deserves it. We have been on two cruises and prepaid our gratuities both times. It's just one less thing you have to worry about. If you don't prepay and you have any questions at all, just go to the Purser's desk when you get on board and discuss it with them.

[MyImagination]

Well, like I said, they never charged the $10 per day per person to my S&S, and I scanned that bill with a fine tooth comb once it arrived under my door the last day.

Stacy

 

It wasnt used fleetwide in 2002. It is now.

[LastofSeptember]

Do these people (waiters/room attendants, etc) realize that you have prepaid? I mean I just don't understand how it works, if they know you've prepaid then they shouldn't be pushy on the last night, but we paid them right along every night last time and they still were, I guess I just thought we were doing something wrong, I realize there are a lot of different options as to how to pay the gratuity, but none seem to really address the issue that we're trying to avoid. Thanks for all of the input.

[tankersbabe]

You can also call your TA or PVP and tell them you want to prepay your tips now and avoid the whole scenario when you get on the cruise. Of course, you can also tip extra at the end of the cruise to whom ever deserves it. We have been on two cruises and prepaid our gratuities both times. It's just one less thing you have to worry about. If you don't prepay and you have any questions at all, just go to the Purser's desk when you get on board and discuss it with them.

 

This is what hubby and I do. We consider the tipping as part of the cruise total, so we prepay at final payment. It makes our sign and sail look so much better too.

 

Then at the end of the cruise, if we decide someone deserves more, we leave extra. Our waiter on the last cruise knocked himself out of his extra tip on the final night when he got snippy with everyone at the table, and basically showed his butt. Hubby and I said, 'well, forget it then'...it was a very bad evening for our table in the dining room, and we were not happy about it at all. The room steward got his extra tip, plus the extra we were going to leave him for being so great. The Matre 'D...never saw him, never tipped him.

 

Have fun!

[StacyandTim]

It wasnt used fleetwide in 2002. It is now.

 

Thanks for the info! At least now I just have to worry about making any necessary adjustments based on the level of service we receive!

 

:) Stacy

[Cotton]

Tipping is very clearly spelled out in all the Carnival big brochure books, as well as in the "Welcome Aboard" booklet you receive with your documents.

 

Whatever happened, however the tipping was at one time......it's not that way anymore.;)

 

Automatic Tipping:

 

$10 per person per day, broken down as follows:

 

$3.50 - cabin steward

$5.50 - dining room waitstaff team

$1.00 - alternative dining (Lido dining staff)

 

Unless you have PREPAID the amount of the tips when you paid for your cruise, the total amount for tips will be the first item listed on your S&S account.

 

It is a fair amount. IF you should choose to adjust this amount for whatever reason, or remove the tips completely - that's your choice....but it's best to leave as is.

 

If you should choose to tip anyone individually in addition to the tips on your S&S account, you may do so. If you would like to use envelopes, they will be provided to you at the purser's desk.

 

You may also choose to tip the Maitre 'd at the end of the cruise. Sometimes I do, and sometimes I don't. There will be an evelope in your cabin for this specific purpose if you choose to tip him/her.

 

Any drinks you purchase will be charged to your S&S account, and they include a 15% tip, so no need to tip your server or bartender extra.

 

If you order anything from room service (food & beverages complimentary), please give the delivery person a buck or two.

 

HOPE THIS HELPS????????:)

[tankersbabe]

Do these people (waiters/room attendants, etc) realize that you have prepaid? I mean I just don't understand how it works, if they know you've prepaid then they shouldn't be pushy on the last night, but we paid them right along every night last time and they still were, I guess I just thought we were doing something wrong, I realize there are a lot of different options as to how to pay the gratuity, but none seem to really address the issue that we're trying to avoid. Thanks for all of the input.

 

 

I wondered that too on our first cruise...you must have had a bad service team all around for them to get huffy about your tipping.

 

All gratuities are automatically added to sign and sail unless you have prepaid them like we do. THen they are distributed. The service staff does not know who and what is left for them, unless you leave cash...otherwise, it is assumed that the $10 a day is posted. The wait staff you had should have been informed...maybe they were just playing on your lack of knowledge of the tipping prcess. That's just weird.

[LastofSeptember]

Cotton, this does help. thanks. I am thinking that our issue resulted from it being a different cruise line that did not have this policy in place, I think DH and I can be comfortable now that you've explained it for us! Thanks so much.

[MyImagination]

Do these people (waiters/room attendants, etc) realize that you have prepaid? I mean I just don't understand how it works, if they know you've prepaid then they shouldn't be pushy on the last night, but we paid them right along every night last time and they still were, I guess I just thought we were doing something wrong, I realize there are a lot of different options as to how to pay the gratuity, but none seem to really address the issue that we're trying to avoid. Thanks for all of the input.

 

Yes they have a printout. I have never cruised Royal, so Im not sure what you mean by pushy. On carnival no one will be demanding a tip on the last night or any night.

[Cotton]

Glad I could help. In a post above, someone said the staff doesn't know who tips automatically. Not true. The purser told me that the staff is given a list of the automatic and prepaid tips. So they do know. I usually tip my cabin steward an extra $10 on the last morning.:)

[tankersbabe]

Glad I could help. In a post above, someone said the staff doesn't know who tips automatically. Not true. The purser told me that the staff is given a list of the automatic and prepaid tips. So they do know. I usually tip my cabin steward an extra $10 on the last morning.:)

 

 

Thanks for giving me a heads up on that...I was told that they didn't know. As long as they don't get me mixed up with someone else and think I stiffed them, we will get along fine. :)

 

Stef