Tipping

[sjwoody1167]

I understand that HAL tacks an $11/day charge on your shipboard account for tips. I also understand that I am supposed to tip some folks additional. My question is who and how much? Am I to tip each person who brings me a drink? The waiters in the MDR? Porters? Room Service? Cabin Stewards? Etc?

[startwin]

I understand that HAL tacks an $11/day charge on your shipboard account for tips. I also understand that I am supposed to tip some folks additional. My question is who and how much? Am I to tip each person who brings me a drink? The waiters in the MDR? Porters? Room Service? Cabin Stewards? Etc?

 

You do not have to give any additional tips, this is strictly an option. Some do, others don't. As a rule of thumb for myself, I give a couple of dollars when room service is delivered, and to our servers and room stewards at the end of the cruise if we have received great service. There is an additional gratuity added to your drinks bill so you do not need to give more in the way of tips for drinks. As for porters, most people - I believe - tip a certain amount per bag or suitcase and the amount varies. I usually give $5 a bag, and we seldom have more than 2!

 

Hope that clarifies a bit.

[GeriatricNurse]

I understand that HAL tacks an $11/day charge on your shipboard account for tips. I also understand that I am supposed to tip some folks additional. My question is who and how much? Am I to tip each person who brings me a drink? The waiters in the MDR? Porters? Room Service? Cabin Stewards? Etc?

 

 

Contrary to popular opinion, it is NOT a requirement that one is "supposed to tip some folks additional" ;)

[Krazy Kruizers]

you are not required to tip anything additional if you don't want to

for all your bar drinks, cocktails, wines -- a 15% gratuity is added onto those bills

it is up to you if you wish to tip anyone extra at the end of the cruise

THIS IS US -- we do tip extra at the end of the cruise to those whom we feel have gone out of their way to make our cruise enjoyable -- so - yes -- we do tip our cabin stewards, dining room staff, wine steward, pinnacle staff, etc. extra

but again -- this is a personal decision you have to make

[fsdj1097]

I understand that HAL tacks an $11/day charge on your shipboard account for tips. I also understand that I am supposed to tip some folks additional. My question is who and how much? Am I to tip each person who brings me a drink? The waiters in the MDR? Porters? Room Service? Cabin Stewards? Etc?

 

Some years ago, HAL went from a 'No Tipping Required' to the current policy of assessing a $11 per person, per day Hotel Service charge. The service charge is allocated to your primary service contacts (room and mdr stewards), as well as a smaller portion to the behind-the-scenes folks.

 

You have an option, to remove the service charge if you determine that the service did not merit it. You will be asked to complete a form to explain why you want the charge removed.

 

If you do remove the service charge, and later decide to individually tip your cabin or mdr steward, they are required to place those tips into a pool to share.

 

If you leave the service charge in place, you can then tip your cabin and mdr stewards any amount you choose, over and above your hotel service charge, and they do not have to share those tips.

[tinkerfenwick]

This is my 1st HAL cruise - at what point can I arrange for the tipping amount per day to be adjusted.... Do I have to wait till the last day or when I 1st get on board..?

[m steve]

we tip the cabin stewards at the beginning and end of the cruise, bartenders additional if I expect to use him often, dining room personelle the last night we are in the dining room before disembarking, room service when we use their service mornings and any other deliveries. We usually leave a small tip in the specialty dining room and of course the wine steward if he provides extra service.

[Mary Ellen]

This is my 1st HAL cruise - at what point can I arrange for the tipping amount per day to be adjusted.... Do I have to wait till the last day or when I 1st get on board..?

You don't need to wait until the last day, but why even think of doing so the first day?? :confused: It is too early to tell if adjustment is needed. We just hand our any additional tips (in cash) during the last full day - or the last evening we're in the MDR (if dining elsewhere the last night). No need to deal with the folks at the front desk.

[jtl513]

This is my 1st HAL cruise - at what point can I arrange for the tipping amount per day to be adjusted.... Do I have to wait till the last day or when I 1st get on board..?

The only legitimate reason to reduce your HSC is if you have received inadequate service during the cruise. Know Before You Go says:

 

HOTEL SERVICE CHARGE

Our crew works very hard to make sure that every aspect of

your cruise meets the highest standards. This includes those

crew members who serve you directly, such as Dining Room

wait staff and the stewards who service your stateroom each

day. There are also many others who support their efforts

whom you may never meet, such as galley and laundry

staff. To ensure that the efforts of all of our crew members

are recognized and rewarded, a daily Hotel Service Charge

is automatically added to each guest’s shipboard account.

The Hotel Service Charge is US$11 per guest per day and is

subject to change without notice. If our service exceeds or

fails to meet your expectations, you are free to adjust this

amount at the end of each segment and/or voyage. The Hotel

Service Charge is paid entirely to Holland America Line

crew members, and represents an important part of their

compensation.

[erewhon]

If you wish, you may raise the Hotel Service charge above the $11.00 per day.

[RuthC]

If you wish, you may raise the Hotel Service charge above the $11.00 per day.

If you do that, double check your final bill that it was done properly.

One time I wanted to increase the service charge by a total of $20. When I checked my bill, I found the $11 per day was removed, and replaced with $20 total for the entire cruise! :eek:

I sure hated spending time at the Front Desk that last morning trying to get everything put back the way I meant for it to be!

[CruiserBruce]

This is my 1st HAL cruise - at what point can I arrange for the tipping amount per day to be adjusted.... Do I have to wait till the last day or when I 1st get on board..?

 

I am curious as to why you would adjust (infer reduce?) the amount the day you get on?

 

You may, of course. As mentioned, you will have to give a reason, the supervisors of your associated staff will be notiifed, and any money you do give personally, will be put into the pool to be split.

[Krazy Kruizers]

This is my 1st HAL cruise - at what point can I arrange for the tipping amount per day to be adjusted.... Do I have to wait till the last day or when I 1st get on board..?

 

a couple of warnings here

if you choose to reduce the hotel service charge -- you will be asked why -- and anything that you give to anyone at the end of the cruise -- they can not keep -- a list is made up of those who have reduced the hotel service charge or removed it -- the list is passed onto the various supervisors and the people working under them are told about this -- those crew are 'supposed' to turn in anything extra they get from you -- to go into a pool -- they are on the honor system -- they know that they can be fired if they are not honest

if you decide to add onto that hotel service charge -- the monies are divided among many crew members -- it doesn't go to the people you want to personally extra

[kazu]

Tipping is entirely personal - if we are impressed (and we usually are) we like to extend a thank you to the people who make our stay extra special.

 

We leave the hotel charge in place as there are MANY people who we do not see who help make the cruise so enjoyable (laundry, cleaning, Lido, etc., etc., etc.) :D

[djhsolara]

This thread gives me an opportunity to ask something that I've been wondering (and I'm sorry if I'm hijacking)...

 

This was our first time in a suite and we weren't sure if we were to tip the wonderful ladies in the Neptune Lounge. We did because we were very impressed with them and everything they did for us. I just wondered if people normally do this.

 

:) :)

[CruiserBruce]

Yes, we do. I sense many others do as well.

 

By the way, it isn't just ladies who work in the Neptune. We have had males and females. And they have "busted their hump" for us, so we gladly tipped them.

[jp2001]

The only time I think a tip is really expected is for porters (personnally, it's about 2$ per bag) and for room service (I tip about 2$ for a small order) and all other tips are optional IMHO. I usually tip a little extra at the end of the cruise for room stewards, a few dollars in specialty restaurants and a little extra at the end of the cruise for the waiters. Of course, the extra tip depends on the level of service.

[RuthC]

This is my 1st HAL cruise - at what point can I arrange for the tipping amount per day to be adjusted.... Do I have to wait till the last day or when I 1st get on board..?

Are you from a culture where's it's not customary to tip? That's the only valid reason I can think of why anyone would consider decreasing the service charge on the first day.

HAL ships is a tipping culture, and a service charge is a substantial portion of the stewards' salary. Your passage is less than it would be if service charges were included in the fare.

Please remember this if you are considering removing/reducing the service charge.

 

If you meant you wanted to increase the service charge on the first day, then I apologize for misinterpreting your post.

[Krazy Kruizers]

This thread gives me an opportunity to ask something that I've been wondering (and I'm sorry if I'm hijacking)...

 

This was our first time in a suite and we weren't sure if we were to tip the wonderful ladies in the Neptune Lounge. We did because we were very impressed with them and everything they did for us. I just wondered if people normally do this.

 

:) :)

 

we have had both female and male concierges in the neptune lounge

i have talked to various people and some do not tip them as they felt that they did not use the concierges

we do use them -- and we do tip them -- and only once did we have one that was BAD -- and we did not tip that concirege

[Corinium]

Are you from a culture where's it's not customary to tip? That's the only valid reason I can think of why anyone would consider decreasing the service charge on the first day.

HAL ships is a tipping culture, and a service charge is a substantial portion of the stewards' salary. Your passage is less than it would be if service charges were included in the fare.

Please remember this if you are considering removing/reducing the service charge.

 

If you meant you wanted to increase the service charge on the first day, then I apologize for misinterpreting your post.

Like tinkerfenwick I come from a culture that isn't accustomed to tip BEFORE receiving exceptional service.I am happy to tip afterwards at my discretion if I feel it's justified. What I'm not comfortable about is paying so called tips to make up the crews wages as this is an abuse of the meaning of the word "tip".The upfront price should fully include fair wages for all crew members whatever their role. But of course I may be in the minority on a HAL cruise because I'm not an American

[Randyk47]

we have had both female and male concierges in the neptune lounge

 

i have talked to various people and some do not tip them as they felt that they did not use the concierges

 

we do use them -- and we do tip them -- and only once did we have one that was BAD -- and we did not tip that concirege

 

Same here though we've never, fortunately, had a bad concierge. We sometimes use the concierge and sometimes we don't. Last cruise on the Maasdam we didn't ask or really have the concierge do anything for us. I would say he was quietly efficient but not extraordinary.

[jtl513]

What I'm not comfortable about is paying so called tips to make up the crews wages as this is an abuse of the meaning of the word "tip".

It's a Hotel Service Charge, not a tip, and is assessed daily, after service has been rendered for that day. It is not unlike service charges added to restaurant bills in Europe.

[Corinium]

It's a Hotel Service Charge, not a tip, and is assessed daily, after service has been rendered for that day. It is not unlike service charges added to restaurant bills in Europe.

 

If, as you say, it's assessed daily this implies it can vary from day to day -- good days and poorer day and how does the customer influence this assessment ?

I'm not going to try and defend restaurant bills in some parts of Europe.

 

So why can't mandatary charges be included in the upfront head line price and let tips be truly voluntary ? This would save a lot of confusion and embarrassment all round. Pleased to say that some lines e.g. Azamara club cruises already do this.

[Randyk47]

So why can't mandatary charges be included in the upfront head line price and let tips be truly voluntary ? This would save a lot of confusion and embarrassment all round. Pleased to say that some lines e.g. Azamara club cruises already do this.

 

It is a bit funny that HAL just doesn't include the charge up front. I guess the thought is that the passenger still has the option and it also makes the cruise fare look lower. I know for our upcoming cruise the service charges are included in the fare and I don't know that I could remove them even if I wanted to.

[Randyk47]

Ooops....double post. Darn system. :o