tips

[anjanetted]

Do they charge everyone the 10 per day fee. Kinda forgot about it and now just realized that at the end of the cruise I will owe 350!! I have smaller children, do they pay too?? Just seems like a lot.

[Quilting_Cruiser]

They aren't "fees," they're tips, and yes they add it for everyone in your party. Small children are often more work than an adult; the tips are generally well-deserved by the staff. We paid full tips when DD was under 2 just like I do now that she's 16. :)

[firefly333]

If the children are under age 2, they wouldnt be charged, or usually not, but if they are age 2 and over, Id say the staff earns the money..

 

cabin steward, waiter, asst waiter, head waiter, and $1 to other services, which I hear is buffet workers.. service all day long.

[KenMo]

Yep, $10pp/per day.

 

I think that's a pretty good deal considering I'd tip more than that for a land vacation.

 

Some pax have reported here that children under 2 aren't charged the tips, but it doesn't specifiy that anywhere I can find.

 

Here's how it's broken down per Carnival's website:

 

For your convenience, we automatically charge the gratuities for dining and stateroom staff to your onboard Sail & Sign account. The total amount is $10.00 per guest, per day (our recommended guideline) as follows:

$ 3.50 Per Day Stateroom Services

$ 5.50 Per Day Dining Room Services

$ 1.00 Per Day Alternative Services: distributed to other kitchen and hotel service staff

For Cruises-To-Nowhere, gratuities of $10 per guest, per day must be prepaid.

Our Staff is totally committed to exceed your expectations in every way possible. If you are not satisfied with the service you receive, we encourage you to contact the Guest Services desk while onboard. This will allow us to address your concerns in a timely and appropriate fashion. At your discretion, you may adjust the gratuities at any time while onboard. Gratuities will be deemed undisputed unless a request to modify is received prior to disembarking the ship.

For beverage purchases, fifteen percent of the bill is automatically added to the Sail & Sign charge. Room Service staff may be tipped as service is rendered. Tipping your Maître d’ is at your discretion, based upon the service you receive.

[kbmeow]

No matter the age someone is still bringing over the food and drinks and cleaning up after them. Including making extra beds. So why wouldn't they get tipped for the service

[melli_fera]

swaying off topic just a tiny bit here...but it's a related question:

 

I'm cruising with a friend and we will both have separate SS cards. Will the tips be added to both our accounts separately?

[Justsyd]

No matter the age someone is still bringing over the food and drinks and cleaning up after them. Including making extra beds. So why wouldn't they get tipped for the service

 

Very true. They deserve those tips! Most people look at tips as part of their cruise fare.

[anjanetted]

Apparently there are some big tippers out there! If I were on a land vacation I would never leave 350 dollars in tips at dinner in zeven days. I don't leave the lady who cleans my hotel room a tip, that's just part of what I paid for. I also take care of my own luggage. I am not sure why kids would cause them more problems, mine wouldn't because I make sure of that. I am not saying they don't deserve tips but it is still a lot.

[Justsyd]

Yes, it is a lot, but eating out three or more times a day, and having someone clean your room twice a day for $10pp is a bargain!!!

[Tannison]

Apparently there are some big tippers out there! If I were on a land vacation I would never leave 350 dollars in tips at dinner in zeven days. I don't leave the lady who cleans my hotel room a tip, that's just part of what I paid for. I also take care of my own luggage. I am not sure why kids would cause them more problems, mine wouldn't because I make sure of that. I am not saying they don't deserve tips but it is still a lot.

 

I have three young kids as well, and yes it is a lot, but it's not just dinner....it is breakfast and lunch as well. Not to mention your room cleaned twice a day...most hotels are only once a day. Those tips are WELL earned and it really is a bargain. The staffs wages are low because they rely on the tips. If you take the tips away, they are working for very little.

 

I know it hurts the pocketbook when you have kids, but I really encourage you to keep the automatic tips.

[waterwatcher]

I prepay tips and consider it part of the cost of my cruise, same as parking or airfare if flying.

[anjanetted]

I wish I would have known that I could prepay but I had no idea. Used a carnival cruisr specialist, wish she would have metioned it.

[lillian marie]

It's really more of a service charge, an expected fee. Hotels in Orlando and in other vacation destination often have a resort fee on top of their daily charge and it's sorta like that fee.

[golfadj]

swaying off topic just a tiny bit here...but it's a related question:

 

I'm cruising with a friend and we will both have separate ss cards. Will the tips be added to both our accounts separately?

 

 

yes

[H82seaUgo]

Do they charge everyone the 10 per day fee. Kinda forgot about it and now just realized that at the end of the cruise I will owe 350!! I have smaller children, do they pay too?? Just seems like a lot.

 

it's not a lot.

 

it's 1.66 per meal. quite comparitable to where ever you vacation where you eat out 3 times a day.

[silkhair1]

Another thing you might not realize aboaut cruising with kids. The Carnival camp workers that watch your kids while you enjoy your cruise (if you use them) are not in the tip pool. You have to tip them seperately. We usually tip at the end of the cruise, and it depends on how much we tip by how much we use them. Those tips you cen't pre-pay.

 

You can still pre-pay your tips I think, if you cal CCL. I am not sure when your cruise is. I do that on NCL all the time!

[uppitycats]

Apparently there are some big tippers out there! If I were on a land vacation I would never leave 350 dollars in tips at dinner in zeven days. I don't leave the lady who cleans my hotel room a tip, that's just part of what I paid for. I also take care of my own luggage. I am not sure why kids would cause them more problems, mine wouldn't because I make sure of that. I am not saying they don't deserve tips but it is still a lot.

 

If it were just dinner perhaps it would be a lot. But it is for 3 meals, snacks, treats in between; it's for cleaning your cabin twice a day, replacing linen for all of you. Whether your kids are big or little, "neat" or not...they still use dishes, utensils, linens, and need all those to be cleaned up regularly.

 

Actually I DO leave the hotel cleaning lady a tip, especially if I'm in the room for more than one night (a whole week, like on a cruise ship). And unless you intend to only take on carry-ons, you'll have someone take care of your luggage from shore to your cabin, whether you tip them or not.

 

It would have been helpful if your travel agent would have made that clear...but it is noted on the website that there is a service charge, and how it is distributed.

[anjanetted]

I understand what a lot of you are saying but for me its still a lot. I don't let other people watch my kids, I take care of them myself. Also, except for dinner the other meals are buffet type and I usually clean up after myself when I am done. I realize a lot of people do use the kids programs and such though, and with so many guests I guess they have to even it out someway. Oh well, not going to fret over that...too excited to be cruising!

[moxie99]

if you are going to cruise pay the tips! If you are going to complain about the cost, don't cruise, the folks who wait on you and are at YOUR beck and call deserve every cent they earn. We tip extra on top of the $10 per day, LOTS extra - when we arrive and meet the cabin steward for the first time Hubby always gives him $50, tells him our tips will stay on the account and that there is more where that came from IF he keeps his wife and daughter happy - we always get great service and at the end there is an additional $50-$100 depending on the service - you also know about tipping the Matre 'd or are you gonna skip out on the dining room on the last night so you don't have too?

[moxie99]

There will be tips added to each drink you buy - and I of course, don't forget the porters at the dock, unless of course you don't mind wet luggage.

[Offroad]

The only negative to pre-pay tips is that we eat the buffet meal more than any other. I always leave a tip for the person clearing our table in the buffet and have tipped them generously if they ask if we need anything. Why should the person in the main dining room get a tip from me when I do not enter the dining room?

[ItsAllAboutTheSass]

swaying off topic just a tiny bit here...but it's a related question:

 

I'm cruising with a friend and we will both have separate SS cards. Will the tips be added to both our accounts separately?

 

Hey there..... I assume you are going to set up separate S&S accounts (you pay for yours, she pays for hers). Yes, you will each be billed for your own. When you check you acct on the TV or at GSD you will each have your own folio number that items are billed to. Dominique and I will also each have our own folio number but will only have one S&S acct.

[Froufie]

Yup it is a lot of $$ when you cruise with a family (we have 3 kids so yes it's $350 for all of us for the week) - but I agree it is WELL DESERVED and part of the cost of the cruise (and yes the 2 older ones are 'especially messy' so the room steward got an extra tip for even venturing into that cabin! ha ha ha :D)

[firefly333]

I understand what a lot of you are saying but for me its still a lot. I don't let other people watch my kids, I take care of them myself. Also, except for dinner the other meals are buffet type and I usually clean up after myself when I am done. I realize a lot of people do use the kids programs and such though, and with so many guests I guess they have to even it out someway. Oh well, not going to fret over that...too excited to be cruising!

 

Have you ever been on a cruise?? The cabin stewards do much more than clean your cabin, leaving towel animals and giving you notices, invites and dailies and you name it.

 

Call, its probably not too late to prepay.

 

I was surprised myself how much service you get on a cruise. $10 seemed like too much to me too until I got on the cruise.

[firefly333]

The only negative to pre-pay tips is that we eat the buffet meal more than any other. I always leave a tip for the person clearing our table in the buffet and have tipped them generously if they ask if we need anything. Why should the person in the main dining room get a tip from me when I do not enter the dining room?

 

The same people work in the buffet during the day and night who wait on the tables in the MDR. $1 a day of the $10 goes to the buffet workers.