Who should get cash tips?

[Tink56]

I am SO sorry for yet another tipping question - I can't find the answer to this specific question. I understand how the whole auto-tip situation works, but what I am not clear on is who should get cash tips in addition during the cruise. Is this everyone?

1 - anyone who has given extra service (waiter, steward)

2 - porters at the pier

3 - room service people

4 - child care people if you have kids who use the kids club - they are NOT in the tip pool, correct?

5 - the person who BRINGS your bags to the cabin (?)

 

Anyone else? Thank you so much for bearing with me on this!

[Toto2Kansas]

I am SO sorry for yet another tipping question - I can't find the answer to this specific question. I understand how the whole auto-tip situation works, but what I am not clear on is who should get cash tips in addition during the cruise. Is this everyone?

1 - anyone who has given extra service (waiter, steward)

2 - porters at the pier

3 - room service people

4 - child care people if you have kids who use the kids club - they are NOT in the tip pool, correct?

5 - the person who BRINGS your bags to the cabin (?)

 

Anyone else? Thank you so much for bearing with me on this!

 

All I can tell you is how we handle it. The rest is totally your decision.

1-If we have had exceptional service (above and beyond the norm), then we will often tip the waiter, or room steward extra.

2-We ALWAYS tip the porters at the pier (this is not part of the auto tip you will pay onboard).

3-We ALWAYS tip for room service delivered (the amount all depends on what we order)

4-Sorry, we don't sail with our kids anymore so can't answer that one.

5-Normally your bags will be left outside your cabin door, or your room steward will let you know when they arrive. We usually don't even see the person who actually delivers them.

[Cruise Junky]

On our last cruise we left Auto tips on, which we always do, then we tipped the waiter and the assistant waiter extra, as well as the guy handling the Elite/Platinum Lounge. We usually tip the room Steward extra but didn't this time as we had a couple of issues. We also tip the Porters.

[Roses2]

Toto's list is spot on. The only additional person we usually tip in cash, if he provides special attention and stretches the menu to meet our needs, is the Head Waiter who provides liason with the galley.

 

During most of our cruises our Head Waiter provides much more personal attention than the waiter and assistant waiter. Therefore, in addition to those listed by Toto, if the service warrants, we tip our Head Waiter too.

 

P&J

[Loonbeam]

Pretty much spot on..

 

I would add a few minor ones...

 

1> Your dealer in the casino if you win (karma mainly there).

2> If you order drink specials when avail, I typically add a little extra if the bill is not large (for a single special drink, the calculated tip could be as low as $.45)

 

Everything else falls under the exceptional service category.

 

 

I am SO sorry for yet another tipping question - I can't find the answer to this specific question. I understand how the whole auto-tip situation works, but what I am not clear on is who should get cash tips in addition during the cruise. Is this everyone?

1 - anyone who has given extra service (waiter, steward)

2 - porters at the pier

3 - room service people

4 - child care people if you have kids who use the kids club - they are NOT in the tip pool, correct?

5 - the person who BRINGS your bags to the cabin (?)

 

Anyone else? Thank you so much for bearing with me on this!

[Cruisin' Chick]

The kids' staff isn't in the tip pool so if your child is taking part in the activities, you can bring an envelope for the staff to share on the last night of the program.

[caribill]

Some people find that a cash tip to a bartender tends to get you great service each time you return to that bar.

 

If you use Spa services, the tip is extra but can be added to the Spa charge.

[Times Prince]

All I can tell you is how we handle it. The rest is totally your decision.

1-If we have had exceptional service (above and beyond the norm), then we will often tip the waiter, or room steward extra.

2-We ALWAYS tip the porters at the pier (this is not part of the auto tip you will pay onboard).

3-We ALWAYS tip for room service delivered (the amount all depends on what we order)

4-Sorry, we don't sail with our kids anymore so can't answer that one.

5-Normally your bags will be left outside your cabin door, or your room steward will let you know when they arrive. We usually don't even see the person who actually delivers them.

Agree on this list as well, with the following comments:

 

2- Porters at the pier are not Princess employees and we have observed them mishandling bags where tips are not given. I once arrived at the pier without the necessary small bills and didn't tip - even though we arrived early in the boarding process our bags were put in a bin that was loaded late into the ship (we could see them from the ship), and we found handling damage. It is not really a tip but an "insurance policy".

 

5- I tried tipping our steward for bringing the bags in and he adanently insisted it was not necessary. It is really hard to catch the actual crew who handle the bags.

[Alaska0799]

In addition to the ship staff, we often tip the drivers/captains/naturalists, etc., involved with the shore excursions. :)