Tipping on a two-segment voyage

[newcruise]

We'll be taking a TA followed by a second voyage from Southampton to Cape Town. Should we tip after each segment or at the end of both segments? Thanks for any advice!

[Cruachan]

We'll be taking a TA followed by a second voyage from Southampton to Cape Town. Should we tip after each segment or at the end of both segments? Thanks for any advice!

 

It's hard to know how to advise you on that one. If you can be absolutely certain that you will keep the same table, the same waiters and the same cabin steward on the second segment then I would say that there would be no need to tip until the voyage is complete.

 

However, if for any reason you are assigned to a different table after Soton or if your cabin steward changes then things could be a little more complicated. Personally I would plan on tipping the night before you arrive in Cape Town and, if any of your waiters or your cabin steward change in the meantime, you should be able to ferret them out during the second leg and pass them an appropriate tip then.

 

J

[Jeffbhhs]

I cannot comment on how Cunard handles table assignments, but I have been on other lines and a simple request to the maitre'd on the final day of the first segment ensured that we had the same table and wait staff. I personally like to wait until the last day just in case the service was not too good, then you can also request to be reseated with different wait staff :)

 

I tipped at the end of the voyage once I knew that I was staying with the same staff

[SEFlyer]

We are doing the same TA and the same Southampton-Cape Town segment. We, too, love South Africa and will spend two and a half weeks there before flying home. We look forward to meeting you onboard.

 

As for tipping, we are switching cabins in Southampton though only a few doors down the same hall. We'll ask the cabin attendant if he/she will look after us in both cabins. They are close enough they may be in one attendants territory. Either way I think we will tip separately. If we change attendants we'll tip the one on the TA. If we don't we'll still do the tip to make sure our stuff gets moved from one to the other attentively and as a signal of more in Cape Town for continued good service.

 

I agree with Jeffbhhs on the dining room. I'd wait until a couple of days into the TA to see if we like the service. If we do I'm sure a chat with both the server and the maitre'd will keep us in his/her serving area. If we don;t then we can also arrange a move. I also think I'd tip at the end of the TA just to reinforce the promise of more for continued excellent service to Cape Town.