Best Advice Received/Best Advice Given

[okwriter]

Free welcome aboard drink?? Do tell..

 

On the first day, all kinds of servers are running around on the Lido deck with trays of the Drink of the Day (DOD). They will hand you one...and then ask for your S&S card to charge it to your account. :D

[Cool Waters]

thats all I was trying to say, if you dont know who to give the tips out to, then the staff wouldnt know either, its going to be hit or miss, and somehow I got pulled into the whole tipping thing .. sorry folks. .. and yes of course I know some people dont know you can remove tips ..I was trying to say about putting loose money for unknown folks into a envelope.

 

I did put the OP on ignore, so I will not be tempted again.

 

I too know better than to get into the whole tipping question.

 

I'm just curious, but how do you think they did it when all they had was envelopes before they started the auto-tipping? I could be wrong.....but I thought before auto-tipping, I thought they gave you envelopes? When they were tipped through the envelopes, how do you supposed they dispersed them? Could it be that they treated mine the same way they treated everyone's before the auto-tipping was put into place.

 

Also do you realize that I still payed the same amount? I could see if you were upset b/c I lowered the amount or didn't tip at all. My heart was in the right place. Does that count for anything?? You are making such a big deal out of this and ironically....you are the only one on this thread that has made a bid deal out of it. Not one other person has been augmentative. I have tried to be polite to everyone that has posted...even you, but you are content on starting trouble where trouble does not exist.

 

I clearly stated in my post that I did what was best for us. And I also stated that everything I did will not work for everyone. If you are one of those people that it does not work for....that's fine. I have no problem with what anyone else does on their vacation. I simple posted what I did. That's it. You don't have to like it....you don't have to do it. And I certainly did not suggest that anyone else do it.

 

So Firefly333, if you do not agree with what I did.....that's cool. I did not expect everyone too. But there have been many people that have asked for it to cease and I am willing to do that and I would hope that you would be too so that we can keep this thread alive for others who are enjoying it and for new folks who might appreciate it.

[Cool Waters]

Not trying to stir, but I think Carnival told you wrong about which group the buffet workers fall into. The wait staff often work the buffet line also. I think they are grouped as "servers" , which includes waiters and buffet workers. Thus the larger share per day.

 

I sure hope not....I got the suggestion from the women at guess services b/c she told me that was the only way to rearrange the tips. She too told me that they were included in the $1 per day. I just wanted to do what I thought was right in my heart and if I did it wrong....then I will know next time. But those guys really do work hard and I just wanted to show them a little more appreciation.

 

Thanks for that bit of information. I don't know if I will ever find out the truth...lol

 

Cool Waters,

 

Thanks for the advice.

And about the tips, its your vacation and you get to decide how to pay out the tips.

 

Someday I hope to take the advice about getting a balcony :D

 

Thank you! And yes....a balcony is wonderful!

[Cool Waters]

OH NO NO NO! You didn't just get a balcony. You got THE balcony! Great thread! Great ideas.

Haven't taken my maiden cruise yet (on the Pride) but I love the great advice on CC.

 

That balcony was awesome! I think we may have spoiled ourselves for further cruises.

[Snapdad]

I saw both of my dining room servers working in the buffett on several occasions. This was two weeks ago.

[trvlqueen]

Best advice received - lay out all your clothes by day and then take out half of what you think you need :) You won't wear it anyway! (especially shoes!)

 

Best advice given - if you're travelling with kids/teens - give them all their spending money up front and let them do whatever the heck they want with it. If it's gone by day 2,or they blow it all in the airport at Starbucks, too bad - that will only happen the first vacation - after that they'll learn to think. I give them charging ability on their sail and sign with a dollar limit for the cruise and check the tv to see what they've spent. I can then go to the purser's desk and shut their card off if they hit their limit (yes, I'd tell them it's over) - but I've never had to do it. Keeps the budget in line and helps the kids learn to be responsible, too - plus, begging, pleading, whining does NOT happen (it is MY vacation, too) because they have the power to make their own decisions and the brains to know they have to live with the consequences. :D

[Kurbanfan]

I'm just curious, but how do you think they did it when all they had was envelopes before they started the auto-tipping? I could be wrong.....but I thought before auto-tipping, I thought they gave you envelopes? When they were tipped through the envelopes, how do you supposed they dispersed them? Could it be that they treated mine the same way they treated everyone's before the auto-tipping was put into place.

 

Before the auto tips were implemented the passengers dispersed them......we handed the money envelopes to the people that served us.......Carnival was not involved.......

And back then there was no additional dollar a day charge for other kitchen and hotel employees......I seriously have know idea how they could disperse the money you gave......

[richstowe]

Best advice received - lay out all your clothes by day and then take out half of what you think you need :) You won't wear it anyway! (especially shoes!)

 

Best advice given - if you're travelling with kids/teens - give them all their spending money up front and let them do whatever the heck they want with it. If it's gone by day 2,or they blow it all in the airport at Starbucks, too bad - that will only happen the first vacation - after that they'll learn to think. I give them charging ability on their sail and sign with a dollar limit for the cruise and check the tv to see what they've spent. I can then go to the purser's desk and shut their card off if they hit their limit (yes, I'd tell them it's over) - but I've never had to do it. Keeps the budget in line and helps the kids learn to be responsible, too - plus, begging, pleading, whining does NOT happen (it is MY vacation, too) because they have the power to make their own decisions and the brains to know they have to live with the consequences. :D

Frankly this is just good parenting advice that is also also a good strategy on any trip or day to day life.

[LibraByTheSea]

The BEST/WORST Advise turns into a pissing match on tipping....everyone tip what you like and feel good/bad about it

 

share some good/bad advise :confused: Great Idea for a Thread

[hillcountry]

Best Advice I received was Get a Balcony Room. :)

 

Best advice I give out is Get a Balcony Room. :)

 

I like that advice. I'm going to take you up on it in about 6 more days. :) First balcony for us! :D

[hillcountry]

Best advice received - lay out all your clothes by day and then take out half of what you think you need :) You won't wear it anyway! (especially shoes!)

 

Best advice given - if you're travelling with kids/teens - give them all their spending money up front and let them do whatever the heck they want with it. If it's gone by day 2,or they blow it all in the airport at Starbucks, too bad - that will only happen the first vacation - after that they'll learn to think. I give them charging ability on their sail and sign with a dollar limit for the cruise and check the tv to see what they've spent. I can then go to the purser's desk and shut their card off if they hit their limit (yes, I'd tell them it's over) - but I've never had to do it. Keeps the budget in line and helps the kids learn to be responsible, too - plus, begging, pleading, whining does NOT happen (it is MY vacation, too) because they have the power to make their own decisions and the brains to know they have to live with the consequences. :D

 

Thanks for the info on teens. I'm bringing mine and have set a cash and S&S budget for them. They know it's all they get, so they'll have to be careful. I was hoping I could set the limit with Guest Services, but it sounds like I'll have to keep an eye on it myself. That's cool too. Thanks again. And thanks, Cool Waters for the thread. :)

[KimberlyC]

Best advice received:

1. Over the door shoe rack is great for all toiletry items to keep the bathroom counter free of clutter, etc. - handy for the sunscreen, bug spray and stuff too.

2. Duct tape - dear lord, the various uses are endless. I've used it to fix a suitcase that busted on a Med cruise, fix a skirt hem last minute, tape a note to the door, wrap fragile souvenirs to come home, decorate the luggage (neon duct tape) so I can see it soming a mile away back when the luggage was all dumped in a pile post cruise.

3. Snorkel gear - you can rent fins anywear but it you plan on doing snorkeling make room for your own mask and mouth piece. The idea of the rental mouth piece makes me queasy.

4. Magnetic Cabin sign and/or dry erase board for those with kids - its a great way to identify your cabin for smaller kids and/or leave messages if you have older ones. My son was 3 the first time he cruised and he always would head straight for our cabin despite not knowing the number because I had a magnetic sign on it with our first names ONLY and something to the effect of which cruise we on (it was Disney so I threw in a pic of the Mouse).

 

Best Advice to give:

1. Dont sweat the small stuff. On our last cruise I had a box of items mailed to the ship that didn't make it on. The cruise line apologized and had it personally carried on at one of the ports mid cruise by an executive. It arrived late and I wasn't pleased but it didn't ruin the cruise by any means.

2. Special sunscreen for sea lice if you are going to the Caribbean during sea lice season. In Cozumel, one child at Paradise Beach in May started crying, a few others clearly bothered - sea lice (jellyfish larva) suspected. My family had no problems but were wearing the special sunscreen I purchased by googling on internet.

3. Ladies invest in 1 or 2 nice swimsuit coverups. You will probably live in them on At Sea days when going from pool to buffet etc. I packed 2 that looked a bit like dresses on my last cruise and those were the 2 items I wore the most.

4. Pump hand soap - My DS doesn't use bar soap for washing his hands. For small kids, it is so much easier to just bring a pump soap and throw it out at the end of the cruise than to try to use bar soap all week long.

5. Small travel size bottles of hand sanitizer for excursions. Bath and Body Works has them on sale for $1 quite frequently.

6. Bring 1 pair of good walking shoes for excursions and water shoes if you are doing water excursions.

7. Beware of waterproof packs - I invested in one for our last cruise. Either it didn't work as advertised or I suffered from operator error. In any event our passports will never look the same. Thankfully the digital camera stayed on the boat in favor of the disposible waterproof one. But word to the wise, test before using!!!

8. Take twice as many pictures and half as many clothes as you think you will need.

[KimberlyC]

Please excuse all the typos in my prior post. In my haste I appear to lack an education...and spell check!

[monkeyates]

Hey Coolwaters, I was flamed for doing the same thing with my tips. We actually personally handed out more in tips than the standard fare. We also tipped the pizza guy and the omelet guy personally. We gave our 9 and 10 year olds a tip envelope for camp carnival. Still we get flamed for this . We leave for a short cruise on the Sensation this Thurs. and plan to hand the tips out as we see fit. Hope others take your advice Coolwaters.