Should I tip for room service on non tipping ship?

[Waihekean]

Very confused as what I should tip. My mandatory/voluntary tipping will be added on to cruise fee which I will not take away, but leave as is. Understand that if you are happy with stateroom steward you tip at end of trip and probably favorite waiters too.

Plus 15% gratuity gets added to drinks. Should I tip room service in the morning when they bring coffee and maybe some breakfast or only when you order a main meal?

[rkmw]

Very confused as what I should tip. My mandatory/voluntary tipping will be added on to cruise fee which I will not take away, but leave as is. Understand that if you are happy with stateroom steward you tip at end of trip and probably favorite waiters too.

Plus 15% gratuity gets added to drinks. Should I tip room service in the morning when they bring coffee and maybe some breakfast or only when you order a main meal?

 

hi Lenie, if you do a search where you posted your question there's plenty of answers about it but here's a thread

 

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1233607&highlight=tipping+room+service

 

bob

[Waihekean]

hi Lenie, if you do a search where you posted your question there's plenty of answers about it but here's a thread

 

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1233607&highlight=tipping+room+service

 

bob

 

Thanks Bob, just the answers I needed. Was not sure needed to tip on our ship. Thought that maybe the personnel on Oz ships would be on better wages then on the American ships. Greetings Lenie

[bazzaw]

Lenie - I think you should look further for an answer to your question than the link given.

 

Firstly - that posting is in the "Princess" forum and I suspect that the respondents were all americans talking about practices in american Princess ships. Why?? Because the answers indicated tips of $2 and $3. Here in Australia, it is not practical to tip in those amounts because we do not have $1 notes.

 

Any Aussies out there with a direct answer to this question??

 

Barry

[Billy and Charlie's Mum]

When we travel Princess we leave the auto tips on. If we order room service we tip $2. If we find the steward/dining room stewards to be attentive and did an excellent job we tip extra in an envelope at the end of the cruise. Approx $20 to $50 depending on job done.

[stanc61]

Previous trips with P&O we have always tipped (when we idenify the correct one) our cabin steward $50 at the start of our trip and we have been looked after perfectly.

 

If eating in the restaurant at a set table each night, it's also worthwhile to do similar for your waiter and drink steward. However I notice with the new arrangement for "Your Choice Dining" on P&O this might not be conducive.

[Waihekean]

Lenie - I think you should look further for an answer to your question than the link given.

 

Firstly - that posting is in the "Princess" forum and I suspect that the respondents were all americans talking about practices in american Princess ships. Why?? Because the answers indicated tips of $2 and $3. Here in Australia, it is not practical to tip in those amounts because we do not have $1 notes.

 

Any Aussies out there with a direct answer to this question??

 

Barry

 

In NZ we have $1 and $2 coins. Haven't been to Australia for a while, so I'm not aware would not be the same, just presumed could take an allocated amount of coins:o What are the suitable Australian dominations then? Thxs Lenie.

[bazzaw]

Lennie

 

When I posted that, I was unsure of where you came from - and what ship you are going on. I assume a Aus P&O ship??

 

When we go to the Pacific Islands, people often give coins to the locals there - but they are unable to exchange them into their own currency at the local banks. Similarly here in Australia, if you have foreign coins, you cannot exchange them into notes.

 

I do not know the answer to your question - and am hoping that you do get an answer form someone who has used room service on an Australian ship - and given a tip for it. I am thinking that a NZ/Aus one or two dollar coin is not appropriate - and the lowest note available in Australia is $5. This is yet another example where following the American custom of tipping does not line up very well in Australia

 

It could well be that a staff member, working on a ship out of Australia, and used to going ashore in Australian ports may value a pocket full of Aussie gold coins - I admit that they could be changed into Australian notes within Australia.

 

Barry

[Aus Traveller]

Lennie It could well be that a staff member, working on a ship out of Australia, and used to going ashore in Australian ports may value a pocket full of Aussie gold coins - I admit that they could be changed into Australian notes within Australia. Barry

On an Aussie-based ship Aust coins can be changed into notes (and vice-versa) at the Purser's Desk.

[IngFam]

Hi there, I've also been a bit confused about tipping. In the Dawn Princess brochure that I have read it states that you will be automatically charged (I think it was 10%) when you order a drink at the bar and that that you are automatically paying tipping per person per day. Are you able to visit the pursers desk and take the tipping off?

 

When we cruised with P&O last year we took it off and at the end of our trip we give our waiters and room stewards envelopes each with $100 in them.

 

Not having cruised with Princess before and a lot that you read is for Princess in the States I'm also wondering about tipping on the Aussie based ships.

 

Regards,

Debbie

[sunbaker]

Previous trips with P&O we have always tipped (when we idenify the correct one) our cabin steward $50 at the start of our trip and we have been looked after perfectly.

 

If eating in the restaurant at a set table each night, it's also worthwhile to do similar for your waiter and drink steward. However I notice with the new arrangement for "Your Choice Dining" on P&O this might not be conducive.

 

Hi there,

On our first cruise last year on PnO, we removed autotipping and didn't tip our cabin steward at the start of the cruise. We had planned to tip her at the end of the cruise but the service was so bad we didn't give her anything. Not sure if we would have gotten better service had we tipped before hand????? Do most people tip their stweard $50 or $100 or what? and do you all tip before or at the end of the cruise??? Not sure what to do now...

We did have the same waiters each night despite it being your choice dining, and paid them $50 each on the last night. Do you think this was the right amount?? or should we tip them at the start of the cruise this time too?

[thied]

well auto tipping will gone by the end of the year from P&O australia and Princess Australia, then all the tipping will up to each of us weather we tip or not.:rolleyes: We only tip if and only if we get the service we have paid for in our cruise.

[Aus Traveller]

Hi there,

On our first cruise last year on PnO, we removed autotipping and didn't tip our cabin steward at the start of the cruise. We had planned to tip her at the end of the cruise but the service was so bad we didn't give her anything. Not sure if we would have gotten better service had we tipped before hand????? Do most people tip their stweard $50 or $100 or what? and do you all tip before or at the end of the cruise??? Not sure what to do now...

We did have the same waiters each night despite it being your choice dining, and paid them $50 each on the last night. Do you think this was the right amount?? or should we tip them at the start of the cruise this time too?

In my opinion the $50 each for your waiters would seem OK.

 

We prefer not to tip at the start of the cruise because we feel it could be construed as implying that they will only do a good job if they get money up front. Personally, I would find that a bit insulting. (My opinion only.) Usually waiters and cabin stewards do a great job. If the job is done half-heartedly, then we tip, but not as much as we usually do.