Tipping?

[needabreakcanada]

Ok new to the whole cruise thing - just in the planning mode now.

 

I have a few questions re: Tipping;

 

1. How much is it to pre-pay your tips on a 7 day cruise?

 

2. How much do you normally tip if you don't use prepaid?

 

3. which do you prefer and why?

[galavant3]

The recommended gratuities are the same regardless of when you pay. It varies for us but usually pre pay them. Although recently I brought cash for gratuities.

 

The suggested amounts are per day so you would just multiply by 7. Don't add the suite amount unless you are staying in a suite.

 

 

For new or existing bookings that set sail before July 1, 2011, the suggested gratuities are:

 

Suite attendant: $5.75 USD a day per guest

Stateroom attendant: $3.50 USD a day per guest

Dining Room Waiter: $3.50 USD a day per guest

Assistant waiter: $2.00 USD a day per guest

Headwaiter: $.75 USD a day per guest

 

For new bookings that set sail on or after July 1, 2011 the suggested gratuities are:

 

Waiter: $3.75 USD a day per guest

Assistant Waiter: $2.15 USD a day per guest

Head Waiter: $.75 USD a day per guest

Housekeeping staff: $5.00 USD a day per guest

Suite Housekeeping staff: $7.25 USD a day per guest

[islandercruiser]

I guess I am still a newbie cruiser - two out of my wallet and one in countdown mode...

 

On both we added the tips to our seapass account and then included cash in the envelopes to the staff that we felt deserved more than the standard amount.

 

We prepaid our tips for our next one in December. It worked out to $51.06 CND per person for a 5 night sailing. Benefit of prepaying is that they are fully paid before we sail.

 

Happy planning and enjoy your cruise!

[cruiseguy1016]

When you prepay your tips or have them put on your Seapass account, you are given vouchers to hand to the person. If you like, you can add some extra cash to the envelope. I prefer to pay in cash. I put the recommended amount (sometimes more) in the envelope, hand it to the person and say Thank You. When I put cash in their hand I KNOW that they receive it.

[SamFritz]

I usually wait unitl I've been on the ship for a few days just in case I decide that someone isn't quite measuring up. One time we had a completely invisible headwaiter, who didn't provide much needed support to our overworked waitstaff. On that cruise we only charged one set of tips to our seapass, and paid the balance in cash in the envelopes giving the Headwaiter's second person's tip plus some extra cash to our Cabin Steward who was particularly awesome.

[cb at sea]

The "recommended" tips are the same, whether you pay in advance, on the ship, or in cash....

If you think about what you'd tip on land, for all meals, and housekeeping services (surely you tip the housekeeper in a hotel???), for a week, the recommended tips are a bargain!

[ronandcarla]

We have just finished our 13th cruise last month, first time for MTD, tips prepaid, and I (wife included) just don't get it about the Headwaiter getting a tip, for what, maybe lobster night helping out a bit. We have never tipped the head waiter and everyone else, including bartenders when 15% is included on the bill tip way more than is suggested for the entire week.

[cruisekap]

I always tip the recommended amount either prepaid, or on board with the voucher. I add more if the service was outstanding. I don't usually hold back the recommended tip, I feel that staff in the dining room work very hard and are working pretty much every day 7 days a week. Even if you don't see the head waiter, I am pretty confident that he is busy behind the scenes or helping newer wait staff. I wouldn't consider holding back unless he/she did something totally unacceptable.

[SamFritz]

I always tip the recommended amount either prepaid, or on board with the voucher. I add more if the service was outstanding. I don't usually hold back the recommended tip, I feel that staff in the dining room work very hard and are working pretty much every day 7 days a week. Even if you don't see the head waiter, I am pretty confident that he is busy behind the scenes or helping newer wait staff. I wouldn't consider holding back unless he/she did something totally unacceptable.

 

I generally agree, though on our one cruise, our waitsaff desperately needed help, and he was nowhere to be found. We were the last ones out of the dininroom every night and occassionally had food that had cooled off by the time it got to us. Our waiters were very nice and obviously working hard. They needed the help of their headwaiter, and he wasn't there ever, that is until the last night.