tips

[MissDiva1]

So it takes longer to vacuum a rug at the end if it wasn't vacuumed for the five days prior? It takes longer to wipe a counter, toilet, and sink than it would it if was wiped each of the previous 5 days? Now you've just got me playing devil's advocate, but let's be real here. The cleanup at the end is going to be the exact same as it would have been if the steward was doing it all along. Anyone who creates so much mess in five days that it would make a more difficult room to clean is obviously a pretty filthy person. Some of us pick up after ourselves as we go along and don't create a giant mess.

 

And let's get back to my original claims, since you all seem to have developed my story into something it wasn't. I never said I wasn't going to allow the stewards into the room at all, nor did I claim I wasn't going to tip them. What I said was that I wasn't necessarily going to request all of the services (bedmaking, turndown, vacuuming, etc.) and I wasn't planning to pay $17.50 per night for a small interior room. What I claimed I was going to do is pay MORE than what the steward would receive for my same room if we were only two guests for LESS work than the steward would have to perform in a typical room with two guests. The steward does less work and gets more pay. I'm not being cheap. I'm being realistic.

 

I think you should wait until you get on the ship and see what they actually do for each person. I believe one of the other posters mentioned they have a key to put the upper bunks up and I know everytime I have walked in on them in my cabin they are literally on their hands and knees scrubbing the shower floor. You are also going to be shocked to see how they set up for 5 people in an inside cabin. You barely have room to walk......I think you will love the help of the stewards to clear the beds out of the way so you can actually breath lol!

[H82seaUgo]

The more obvious question is, "Why would I want to pay $87.50 over the course of my 5-night cruise for something that I can do myself in less than 5 minutes per day?" I'm willing to give the steward the $10/day (more than if we only had the standard two guests in our room), simply because they expect to receive income from every room. However, it doesn't take 5 times the effort to clean a room with 5 people, so I won't be providing 5 times the housekeeping tip.

 

I honestly don't care that you all think I'm cheap. I tip generously when I feel it's appropriate, and I have no problem leaving no tip at all if the service I receive is poor. If the room steward on my cruise blows me away with amazing service, I won't think twice about leaving him/her with something extra. However, I won't be bullied into believing that $17.50 per night for my tiny interior room is an appropriate tip amount simply because it's what Carnival auto-assigns.

 

why not just bring a grill and cook your own food. so many cost cutting ideas, so little time.

[MrsHeart]

So it takes longer to vacuum a rug at the end if it wasn't vacuumed for the five days prior? It takes longer to wipe a counter, toilet, and sink than it would it if was wiped each of the previous 5 days? Now you've just got me playing devil's advocate, but let's be real here. The cleanup at the end is going to be the exact same as it would have been if the steward was doing it all along. Anyone who creates so much mess in five days that it would make a more difficult room to clean is obviously a pretty filthy person. Some of us pick up after ourselves as we go along and don't create a giant mess.

 

And let's get back to my original claims, since you all seem to have developed my story into something it wasn't. I never said I wasn't going to allow the stewards into the room at all, nor did I claim I wasn't going to tip them. What I said was that I wasn't necessarily going to request all of the services (bedmaking, turndown, vacuuming, etc.) and I wasn't planning to pay $17.50 per night for a small interior room. What I claimed I was going to do is pay MORE than what the steward would receive for my same room if we were only two guests for LESS work than the steward would have to perform in a typical room with two guests. The steward does less work and gets more pay. I'm not being cheap. I'm being realistic.

 

How do you think they get more pay when you are removing a portion? Will you be telling them at the same time you will be reducing the standard customary amount when you tell them that all of their services will not be needed? The rooms that are for 5 people are not the same as the ones as for 2 people... they set aside rooms based on the occupancy.

 

I just did an imaginary booking and all I did was change the number of passengers. I chose the same sail date, cabin type and deck. Lo and behold, I couldn't select the same room I could when I reduced it to 2 passengers from 5.

[wannago35]

I agree completely with your thoughts on tipping. Name a better way to consistently reward good service.

 

I'm surprised that people think the problem lies in the "company" not paying more. If they did away with tips then the cost of the cruise would go up in order to keep and attract good employees. At least with tipping, I have input in the process. The good staff get more than the bad staff. What could be more fair? Fair until someone comes along and decides that they are going to create a new custom and adjust the amount based on a reason other than the quality of the service, the hallmark of the tipping theory. Whether you pay it in the form of a tip or it's rolled into the cruise, you will end up paying the same....unless you have decided that the staff is making too much.

 

You get what you pay for in some instances, and knowing people in the service industry & how hard they work, I personally wouldn't mind paying a bit more for a cruise to make sure they made a decent salary along with tipping for good service.

 

I'm not saying do away with tips entirely, and I don't know what that salary should be, but surely more than what's been posted around here (15 cents a day? $25 a week? Seriously? :eek:). How can folks not fault the company for that when they are making money hand over fist.

 

If workers made a decent salary to begin with, customers could still tip and have input AND most importantly, employees wouldn't have to rely upon the whims of the customer (i.e., having a bad day? No tip; make one mistake? No tip; customer didn't budget correctly? no tip/short tip) as opposed to whether their family could survive or not on their salary with or without the tips.

[melli_fera]

So it takes longer to vacuum a rug at the end if it wasn't vacuumed for the five days prior? It takes longer to wipe a counter, toilet, and sink than it would it if was wiped each of the previous 5 days? Now you've just got me playing devil's advocate, but let's be real here. The cleanup at the end is going to be the exact same as it would have been if the steward was doing it all along. Anyone who creates so much mess in five days that it would make a more difficult room to clean is obviously a pretty filthy person. Some of us pick up after ourselves as we go along and don't create a giant mess.

 

And let's get back to my original claims, since you all seem to have developed my story into something it wasn't. I never said I wasn't going to allow the stewards into the room at all, nor did I claim I wasn't going to tip them. What I said was that I wasn't necessarily going to request all of the services (bedmaking, turndown, vacuuming, etc.) and I wasn't planning to pay $17.50 per night for a small interior room. What I claimed I was going to do is pay MORE than what the steward would receive for my same room if we were only two guests for LESS work than the steward would have to perform in a typical room with two guests. The steward does less work and gets more pay. I'm not being cheap. I'm being realistic.

 

No, you first said that you were going to get your own towels at the desk and leave up your do not disturb sign.

 

Now you're saying you'll pay the cabin steward $10 per night for what? Bringing you towels and emptying your trash?

 

But you WON'T pay them the $17.50 to do the full job.

 

But you would pay them MORE than $10 per night if there were less of you in the room for the same limited service (towels and an empty trash can).

 

Riiiiiiight....

 

You keep talking in CIRCLES. This is a custom in the cruise industry for who knows how many years and you're being EDUCATED way in advance of your first cruise experience.

 

I'm going to stretch here a bit and say, what would you do if you were traveling somewhere where it is customary for women to cover their shoulders? Would you oblige? Ignore? or just not go?

 

You certainly have the right to not agree with said customs, and those who adhere to said customs have the right to not agree with you (and deem you rude/ignorant/cheap/whatever).

[H82seaUgo]

Just curious.......why wouldn't you want your bathroom cleaned daily. Sheets changed twice a week, floors vacuumed, clean glasses to rinse your mouths out every day, showers scrubbed, room service trays taken away, extra beds put up and out of the way plus more for onl;y $3.50 p/p:confused: What am I missing:confused:

 

i can only imagine what that closet is going to smell like the first morning.

[MrsHeart]

You get what you pay for in some instances, and knowing people in the service industry & how hard they work, I personally wouldn't mind paying a bit more for a cruise to make sure they made a decent salary along with tipping for good service.

 

I'm not saying do away with tips entirely, and I don't know what that salary should be, but surely more than what's been posted around here (15 cents a day? $25 a week? Seriously? :eek:). How can folks not fault the company for that when they are making money hand over fist.

 

If workers made a decent salary to begin with, customers could still tip and have input AND most importantly, employees wouldn't have to rely upon the whims of the customer (i.e., having a bad day? No tip; make one mistake? No tip; customer didn't budget correctly? no tip/short tip) as opposed to whether their family could survive or not on their salary with or without the tips.

 

There are options. If you don't want to tip and you want to cruise, sail Regent or Crystal.

[Quilting_Cruiser]

So it takes longer to vacuum a rug at the end if it wasn't vacuumed for the five days prior? It takes longer to wipe a counter, toilet, and sink than it would it if was wiped each of the previous 5 days? Now you've just got me playing devil's advocate, but let's be real here. The cleanup at the end is going to be the exact same as it would have been if the steward was doing it all along. Anyone who creates so much mess in five days that it would make a more difficult room to clean is obviously a pretty filthy person. Some of us pick up after ourselves as we go along and don't create a giant mess.

 

And let's get back to my original claims, since you all seem to have developed my story into something it wasn't. I never said I wasn't going to allow the stewards into the room at all, nor did I claim I wasn't going to tip them. What I said was that I wasn't necessarily going to request all of the services (bedmaking, turndown, vacuuming, etc.) and I wasn't planning to pay $17.50 per night for a small interior room. What I claimed I was going to do is pay MORE than what the steward would receive for my same room if we were only two guests for LESS work than the steward would have to perform in a typical room with two guests. The steward does less work and gets more pay. I'm not being cheap. I'm being realistic.

 

 

Yes, actually it will take longer to clean the room if he or she hasn't been maintaining it all week. And, it doesn't mean a person is "filthy." If the toilet doesn't get scrubbed daily, it will take a little longer to do that cleaning after seven days. If I didn't vacuum my livingroom floor for a week, it would take longer to vacuum it because there would be more for the vacuum to pick up.

 

Also, you don't "request" the services. Your steward will make your bed, turn it down, vacuum, scrub your toilet, clean your shower, empty your trash, etc. whether you ask him to or not. So if you don't want the services, then don't let him in your room. He may forego the towel animals if you request it.

 

And the steward doesn't get the entire tip--he breaks it out and gives some of it to those who assist him, which is at least one other person.

[lillian marie]

If you find it hard to put the tips on your credit card at the end of a cruise, budget them as part of the cruise cost and prepay them. They are more of a service charge. If you don't prepay you can reduce the tips by going to the purshars desk when you are on board. It is likely that your stewards & waiters will know that you have done that because in past yrs there was a photo of a list of cruisers with cabin # who had reduced or dropped tips that was hanging on a bulliten board in the crew quarters on a CCL ship. You may get poor service. It is of course your choice. These ship crew work very hard and I consider the tips to be part of the cruise cost.

[cruisenanny]

So it takes longer to vacuum a rug at the end if it wasn't vacuumed for the five days prior? It takes longer to wipe a counter, toilet, and sink than it would it if was wiped each of the previous 5 days? Now you've just got me playing devil's advocate, but let's be real here. The cleanup at the end is going to be the exact same as it would have been if the steward was doing it all along. Anyone who creates so much mess in five days that it would make a more difficult room to clean is obviously a pretty filthy person. Some of us pick up after ourselves as we go along and don't create a giant mess.

 

And let's get back to my original claims, since you all seem to have developed my story into something it wasn't. I never said I wasn't going to allow the stewards into the room at all, nor did I claim I wasn't going to tip them. What I said was that I wasn't necessarily going to request all of the services (bedmaking, turndown, vacuuming, etc.) and I wasn't planning to pay $17.50 per night for a small interior room. What I claimed I was going to do is pay MORE than what the steward would receive for my same room if we were only two guests for LESS work than the steward would have to perform in a typical room with two guests. The steward does less work and gets more pay. I'm not being cheap. I'm being realistic.

 

You don't "request" certain things, this is what they do.. You aren't being realistic in the least & you are probably gonna feel a little silly once your onboard & see..:o

[Quilting_Cruiser]

why not just bring a grill and cook your own food. So many cost cutting ideas, so little time.

 

 

rotfl!

 

:d

[halos]

And let's get back to my original claims, since you all seem to have developed my story into something it wasn't.

 

I'm not being cheap. I'm being realistic.

 

Did you not crunch the numbers????:confused:

Obviously, that is rhetorical....You lost me when you did your 'math'.

That made you seem cheap, not realistic.

 

You have never cruised before so I don't get how you could even think you are being realistic when you have no clue about cruisng, the cabin or what the steward does....

[Fishon28]

Some people are failing to realize that most of the jobs that get tipped are staffed by people mostly from poorer countries while salaried employees are from richer countries.

 

 

You guys are complaining about their low wages but are probably middle class in Vietnam or Laos.

 

You want them to earn American type wages without paying American type taxes.

 

I think tipping should be done but don't question other people's reasons for tipping more or less or even none.

[MissDiva1]

You get what you pay for in some instances, and knowing people in the service industry & how hard they work, I personally wouldn't mind paying a bit more for a cruise to make sure they made a decent salary along with tipping for good service.

 

I'm not saying do away with tips entirely, and I don't know what that salary should be, but surely more than what's been posted around here (15 cents a day? $25 a week? Seriously? :eek:). How can folks not fault the company for that when they are making money hand over fist.

 

If workers made a decent salary to begin with, customers could still tip and have input AND most importantly, employees wouldn't have to rely upon the whims of the customer (i.e., having a bad day? No tip; make one mistake? No tip; customer didn't budget correctly? no tip/short tip) as opposed to whether their family could survive or not on their salary with or without the tips.

 

A little research would solve the embarrasment......just sayin.

[wannago35]

There are options. If you don't want to tip and you want to cruise, sail Regent or Crystal.

 

I'm sorry this is my first cruise, what's the difference between those lines and Carnival? You don't have to tip there or something?

[MrsHeart]

why not just bring a grill and cook your own food. so many cost cutting ideas, so little time.

 

They already said that they will be bringing soda into the MDR to avoid that cost.... I can see the Foreman Grill schleped with their 12 pack of RC and plopped onto the table.

[MrsHeart]

I'm sorry this is my first cruise, what's the difference between those lines and Carnival? You don't have to tip there or something?

 

 

No you don't tip on those lines, however you pay out the wazoo. They are all inclusive. Others are Cruise West, Seabourn, and Silversea.

[arush5268d]

I'm sorry this is my first cruise, what's the difference between those lines and Carnival? You don't have to tip there or something?

 

 

Expect to pay $10,000+ per person for a voyage on one of those luxury lines. Everything is included in your cruise fare.

[H82seaUgo]

Did you not crunch the numbers????:confused:

Obviously, that is rhetorical....You lost me when you did your 'math'.

That made you seem cheap, not realistic.

 

You have never cruised before so I don't get how you could even think you are being realistic when you have no clue about cruisng, the cabin or what the steward does....

 

that extra 7.50 will get full service to their "small" stateroom (which she will soon find out is the same size as every other stateroom), or a foo foo.

 

the appalachian american has arrived on carnival.

[halos]

the appalachian american has arrived on carnival.

I seriously wish you'd stop saying that.

[wannago35]

A little research would solve the embarrasment......just sayin.

 

As everyone is well aware, folks don't always do research - right, wrong or indifferent, they don't. Out of the 15 people I'm cruising with (some new to cruising, some not) I'm the ONLY one researching. And as you can tell from this thread alone, not everyone feels embarassment about their tipping habits.

 

Further, an employee shouldn't have to rely on any of that to make a decent salary. But I digress ....

 

Like some feel those who don't pay their tips (for whatever reason) are cheap or whatever, I'll say the companies are cheap for not paying a decent salary. JMHO.

[prattmom]

I'm still fascinated by the concept of 5 people in an inside room.... oy.

[H82seaUgo]

I'm still fascinated by the concept of 5 people in an inside room.... oy.

 

i though 2 was too much!

[wannago35]

No you don't tip on those lines, however you pay out the wazoo. They are all inclusive. Others are Cruise West, Seabourn, and Silversea.

 

AHHH! Got it! Thanks. But we know that's not gonna happen LOL!

[wannago35]

Expect to pay $10,000+ per person for a voyage on one of those luxury lines. Everything is included in your cruise fare.

 

For that price it better be! ;)