Reduced tips for nights off ship?

[obstructedview]

We are going on a twelve night cruise shortly.

 

Of our twelve night trip, we are spending two off the ship.

 

Not wanting to sound cheap, we of course all agree about how hard everyone works on the ships, and how they deserve to be tipped, but my question is in our situation is appropriate to reduce our tips for the two nights we are not on the ship.

 

The tips quickly add up, and the difference in the two days equals a shore excursion.

[cruizinon]

Though you will surely get the fire and brimstone preached to you on this I would go ahead and reduce them if thats what you want to do.

[Seabreeze8]

I'm not giving an opinion here but do have a question. The difference in 2 days tip equals one shore excursion? That must be some luxury line you are on...

[Times Prince]

We are going on a twelve night cruise shortly.

 

Of our twelve night trip, we are spending two off the ship.

 

Not wanting to sound cheap, we of course all agree about how hard everyone works on the ships, and how they deserve to be tipped, but my question is in our situation is appropriate to reduce our tips for the two nights we are not on the ship.

 

The tips quickly add up, and the difference in the two days equals a shore excursion.

To do as you wish you would need to have the Hotel Charge removed for those nights, unless you have already opted out of the automatic tipping scheme.

 

We thought about it briefly for our Egypt cruise where we spent a night ashore in Cairo - then decided that it didn't really make that much of a difference so we left the tip in place. For the $22 it cost us we were glad to give our steward the night off from cleaning our cabin (it was, however clean when we arrived back despite our telling him he didn't need to do anything), and there was less work for our wait staff in the dining room.

[caribill]

We are going on a twelve night cruise shortly.

 

Of our twelve night trip, we are spending two off the ship.

 

Not wanting to sound cheap, we of course all agree about how hard everyone works on the ships, and how they deserve to be tipped, but my question is in our situation is appropriate to reduce our tips for the two nights we are not on the ship.

 

The tips quickly add up, and the difference in the two days equals a shore excursion.

 

Be sure to cancel your car insurance for the time you are on a cruise as you will not be using the car during that time.

[TiCKed]

Be sure to cancel your car insurance for the time you are on a cruise as you will not be using the car during that time.

 

Tell you what....I don't tip the waitress at Denny's on days I don't eat there. Not sure why you expect me to tip the MDR waiters when I'm not there. On the other hand, my car is protected from theft and damage whether I drive it or not.

 

If you're going to be snarky, at least be relevant.

 

As for the original question, tipping is always the choice of the one doing the tipping. Personally, I see no reason you shouldn't adjust as you see fit.

[Pam in CA]

I've taken several overnight excursions while on a cruise and it didn't even occur to me to reduce the tips because I figured I was still on the ship the morning of day 1, my steward did the work of cleaning and making up my cabin plus I had breakfast and thus used dining service, and I returned the next evening and again, my steward set up my cabin for the evening and I had dinner inboard the ship so I used the dining services. My feeling is that if you are on the ship and using any service, even if it's limited, for a part of the day, leaving the tip on is appropriate. After all, its just $11 or so. Seems cheap to me that if one uses any part of any service, to remove the service charge.

[captainron]

We are going on a twelve night cruise shortly.

 

Of our twelve night trip, we are spending two off the ship.

 

Not wanting to sound cheap, we of course all agree about how hard everyone works on the ships, and how they deserve to be tipped, but my question is in our situation is appropriate to reduce our tips for the two nights we are not on the ship.

 

The tips quickly add up, and the difference in the two days equals a shore excursion.

 

But you do sound that way just by bringing the subject up :confused: . The fact remains that you booked the cruise for the twelve days at "X" thousands of dollars knowing full well what you were going to pay for the hotel charges and you're whimpering about a max of USD$48. Perhaps the lifeboat should have been your accomodation choice.:rolleyes:

 

Sorry but even if you're in a suite 4 X USD$12.00 = USD$48.00, I think Bill put it succinctly in that you must be on some doozie of a cruiseline if you're getting a shorex for that price. You may luck in and book two day tickets on a HOHO bus somewhere, but to me (and just IMHO) that doesn't qualify as a shorex.

 

Perhaps you might want to consider an Alaskan cruise on the Alaska Marine Highway ferries where hotel charges don't apply.

 

Ciao for now!!!

[ibethenanya]

I've taken several overnight excursions while on a cruise and it didn't even occur to me to reduce the tips because I figured I was still on the ship the morning of day 1, my steward did the work of cleaning and making up my cabin plus I had breakfast and thus used dining service, and I returned the next evening and again, my steward set up my cabin for the evening and I had dinner inboard the ship so I used the dining services. My feeling is that if you are on the ship and using any service, even if it's limited, for a part of the day, leaving the tip on is appropriate. After all, its just $11 or so. Seems cheap to me that if one uses any part of any service, to remove the service charge.

 

But you do sound that way just by bringing the subject up :confused: . The fact remains that you booked the cruise for the twelve days at "X" thousands of dollars knowing full well what you were going to pay for the hotel charges and you're whimpering about a max of USD$48. Perhaps the lifeboat should have been your accomodation choice.:rolleyes:

 

Sorry but even if you're in a suite 4 X USD$12.00 = USD$48.00, I think Bill put it succinctly in that you must be on some doozie of a cruiseline if you're getting a shorex for that price. You may luck in and book two day tickets on a HOHO bus somewhere, but to me (and just IMHO) that doesn't qualify as a shorex.

 

Perhaps you might want to consider an Alaskan cruise on the Alaska Marine Highway ferries where hotel charges don't apply.

 

Ciao for now!!!

 

Thank you both!!!

[Princess Patches]

Tell you what....I don't tip the waitress at Denny's on days I don't eat there. Not sure why you expect me to tip the MDR waiters when I'm not there. On the other hand, my car is protected from theft and damage whether I drive it or not.

 

If you're going to be snarky, at least be relevant.

 

I agree with this comment. The insurance analogy was way off base.

 

As to the OP's question, I understand your point of view that since you won't be using the services for the day or most of the day, you are not required to tip. I had never really thought about it before. However, if you carry that thought process out, then would you reduce the tips if you left the ship for a 4-hour shore excursion too? In other words, if you are not eating lunch on the ship that day and not using the services of the lunch staff, do you really owe only $8 in tips rather than the standard $12? If you are sick one day and don't go to lunch or dinner, do you owe only $4 in tips rather than $12? I certainly don't do that and I don't know of anyone who does.

 

My answer is you should not reduce your tips for the days you are not using the service.

[TiCKed]

Perhaps the lifeboat should have been your accomodation choice.:rolleyes:

 

Perhaps you might want to consider an Alaskan cruise on the Alaska Marine Highway ferries where hotel charges don't apply.

 

Ciao for now!!!

 

Bet you're patting yourself on the back for those fine, fine put downs!

 

What is wrong with you people? Is there a competition to see who can be the most offensive?

 

If you have an opinion, (and I know most do), why can't you spit it out in a clear succinct manner. Keep the snarky cuteness to yourselves. (FYI and study: Pam in CA did a very nice job of that).

 

___

 

Personally, I'd not bother to change the tipping. The system that Princess set up is easy to use, and covers everyone.

 

But if I have the right, (and I do), to either add or subtract from the suggested tipping in cases where the service is extra good, or just plain poor....then I also have the right to decide that I don't have to tip for services not rendered. As long as I'm fair in assessing what I REALLY didn't receive, (as Pam correctly suggested), then I don't see an issue.

[DMRick]

The biggest problem I see in reducing the tip, is you have a lock on your room. It's not like, because you will be off the ship your cabin person and waiter can fill your room and table, so they can get a tip. They are essentially stuck. They earn less that day, and they have no way to make it up. That's less money that some of them can send home that week.

[Cruisin' Chick]

IMO, it's snarky behavior to take off the autotips because of the reason listed above. You will still be getting your cabin clean, and odds are you'll still be having breakfast onboard.

[soccerref]

When we did a 2 night ship's excursion to Machu Pichu from our NCL ship the tips for those 2 nights were automatically removed from our account. We were not consulted about this.

[raven31]

If you can't afford to tip, you can't afford to go.

[PescadoAmarillo]

Be sure to cancel your car insurance for the time you are on a cruise as you will not be using the car during that time.

Actually, we do. At least the collision coverage. But then we do cruise for longer periods of time.

 

I guess the corollary to this question is whether solo travelers should pay twice the autotips for their cabin so that the cabin steward is not penalized because the cabin has only one guest.

[treasure4two]

To your question, I personally would not take the tips off while I am off the ship, but that is your personal decision.

 

As far as snarky remarks, I have been on different cruise threads on CC and if there is one thing I have learned is that if you don't want to get snarky remarks, you need not talk about tipping, dressing up or down for dinner, or saying you had a bad experience on that same cruise line(that cruise line homers will attack you big time) you are on, ie: do not say HAL was horrible and you will never cruise on them again on the HAL threads. ATTACK!! Can be very hurtful sometimes and never understand why people do it. The only exception to me is when someone attacks an entire country, like the one jerk that lumped every American into one group of terrible people because a couple of Americans were not to his liking.

 

Whatever you decide to do on the tips, I would probably not tell others around you, as no reason for others to judge you, openly or silently. Just my thought. Either way, I hope you have a wonderful cruise!

[paul929207]

Personally, I would leave on the autotip for the days away, but, as tipping is optional, you can do what you want.

[ONT-CA]

Be sure to cancel your car insurance for the time you are on a cruise as you will not be using the car during that time.

 

 

touché

[RuthlessBoss]

When we did a 2 night ship's excursion to Machu Pichu from our NCL ship the tips for those 2 nights were automatically removed from our account. We were not consulted about this.

This is something I never thought of, interesting. Is this a common practice? No one has addressed this.

 

Leaving the tip on is a two edged sword. Yes, the tip receivers have less work, but with their normal schedules they are literally tied to the ship and NOT out sightseeing while you are. If crews didn't need the money, they would not subject themselves to this job and the long hours they work. Most of us object to working over 40 hours a week (and we get to go home nightly). The rest of the time they are there to accommodate your needs (or wants), and one expects that while on board.

 

I would want the tips removed while off the ship for extended time, but would not do it voluntarily as I applaud those workers and their sacrifices to make our cruise an event to remember.

[DMRick]

I don't believe they should, since there are cabins with more than two people in them. The ship can fit so many people, and some cabins have one, some have 3 or four..but that would balance out and the cabin person/waiter have a certain amount of people to care for in the total. Has anyone ever noticed that all the single cabins are put in the same area, or are they balanced out?

If a ship is full, that doesn't always mean all the rooms are full, does it? But that a certain amount of people are on board.

 

 

I guess the corollary to this question is whether solo travelers should pay twice the autotips for their cabin so that the cabin steward is not penalized because the cabin has only one guest.

[1 HappyCruiser]

You can reduce your auto tip amount and don't have to give a reason if you feel that way.

[Highlander1]

I don't think its fair to the staff that because you elect to spend time away from the ship, they should take a pay cut for your leisure. They have no means of recouping the money lost, the room cannot be sold for two nights and if everyone spent time away without compensating the staff, things would get ugly fast.

 

Its a $40 bill for two days of services, a small chunk of the cost of the vacation. I'm on the staffs side 100% on this one. Your looking to save a few bucks on tips so you can go on an excursion, what should they do with their loss, skip a phone call home?

[LoriPhil]

I would leave the tip in place - it was established recognizing that many passengers are typically off-ship for many hours during their cruises, often eating on-shore as well. The cabin steward is still cleaning in the morning, someone is washing sheets, towels, vacuuming preparing meals etc. I suspect most of us don't really think about the number of crew members who are beavering away behind the scenes to make sure we are happy and pampered, and that work goes on whether we're there or not. By leaving the auto-tip in place you never have to deal with even the smallest twinge of guilt whether you did the right thing so you can enjoy and escape completely ;).

[Pia1913]

Actually, we do. At least the collision coverage. But then we do cruise for longer periods of time.

 

.

 

Can we do that? I've never even considered investigating the auto insurance. I will now.