Tipping advice if cruise line includes daily gratuities charge.

[LACruiserGuy]

If the cruise line includes a daily per person charge for gratuities, do you generally give additional tips in the restaurants, bars and to your cabin attendant on top of what the cruise line is already charging, or does it depend on what type of service your receive, i.e. do you only give an additional tip if the service has been outstanding?

[bugspost]

I tip room service every time.........also, I will give additional to cabin steward if they give exceptional service.....I don't usually tip extra @bars since they auto add 18% but I do tip the staff in casino as usually I am getting non alcoholic drinks!!

[scamper]

ABSOLUTELY! When you consider the hours these guys and girls put in and the number of days they have to work (no days off), and do it all with a friendly dispositon and a big smile on their faces, how could I not?

[LACruiserGuy]

@Scamper - I usually leave a cash tip for a hotel maid on the morning of departure on the dresser, etc., but not sure that's the way to handle it on a cruise ship. I've read some general postings about adding tips to your on board account through the purser, but not sure how that works.

[etoile]

I always tip everybody extra, and always in cash. They absolutely prefer cash, which they get immediately and can use immediately, and love for all the other reasons cash is king.

 

Like Scamper said, cruise ship crew put in absolutely brutal hours, 7 days a week, continuously, for MONTHS. Having 24 hours off in a row just doesn't happen, ever. I seem to recall a "day off" is generally just 8 hours at a time...for some who works 16 hours a day, that's tough. So these guys and girls work hard for little pay. I'm on vacation...I can afford to tip even beyond the automatically added gratuity. I've heard it said that if you can't afford to tip, you can't afford to cruise.

 

There is debate over whether it's better to tip before or after the cruise. The wife and I usually do after, though some say you'll get better service if you tip earlier.

 

We always tip $1 cash per alcoholic drink. They take longer to make than a soda, and cultivating a good relationship with one or two bartenders results in vastly improved drinks. ;)

[Boytjie]

We will give the stewards extra cash if they take good care of us. Room service will get a few bucks. As for bar service, if the bartender and I click, I will add extra tip to the bill.

 

We usually don't tip extra at dining places. In general we will tip extra for things done above and beyond the regular.

 

I don't walk around with cash in my pocket onboard, unless I know I need to tip or I am going to the casino.

[soldham]

I always tip everybody extra, and always in cash. They absolutely prefer cash, which they get immediately and can use immediately, and love for all the other reasons cash is king.

 

Actually that is not always true. I cannot speak for all cruise lines but on HAL staff are required to turn in all personal tips which are added to the gratuities 'pot' and distributed evenly to staff.

 

And in discussions with staff they indicated that they do since non-compliance will result in disciplinary action.

[Boytjie]

Actually that is not always true. I cannot speak for all cruise lines but on HAL staff are required to turn in all personal tips which are added to the gratuities 'pot' and distributed evenly to staff.

 

And in discussions with staff they indicated that they do since non-compliance will result in disciplinary action.

 

They only have to turn in cash tips into the pool if the specific passengers canceled of lowered the daily hotel service charge; if the HSC is kept in place they keep everything above and beyond that. Lists of passengers canceling or lowering the HSC are distributed to the crew.

[soldham]

They only have to turn in cash tips into the pool if the specific passengers canceled of lowered the daily hotel service charge; if the HSC is kept in place they keep everything above and beyond that. Lists of passengers canceling or lowering the HSC are distributed to the crew.

 

Not what I have been told by the staff I have spoken to - one of whom has been a friend for several years. And since (in my experience) most passengers who do choose to lower or cancel the HSC do so on the last night of the cruise distributing the list has a limited to non existent impact.....

[Boytjie]

Not what I have been told by the staff I have spoken to - one of whom has been a friend for several years. And since (in my experience) most passengers who do choose to lower or cancel the HSC do so on the last night of the cruise distributing the list has a limited to non existent impact.....

 

Interesting. Very different from what has been posted on the HAL boards by people that seem to be in the know.

[soldham]

Interesting. Very different from what has been posted on the HAL boards by people that seem to be in the know.

 

My experience on here is that sometimes some people have a bit too much time but no lack of opinions which they claim to be fact......:cool:

 

Next time I communicate with my friend I will ask a few more details.....perhaps things have changed.

[Boytjie]

My experience on here is that sometimes some people have a bit too much time but no lack of opinions which they claim to be fact......:cool:

 

Next time I communicate with my friend I will ask a few more details.....perhaps things have changed.

 

There are some regular posters that I trust to have pretty accurate information. There are also some HAL employees that post on the boards.

[RandRCruiser]

FWIW, on NCLA, I kept all tips I got.

 

I was not in a public service position, but the nature of my job did take me through passenger areas all the time, and occasionally a guest would stop me and ask a question or directions, etc. Very occasionally this resulted in a tip.

 

I was paid a much higher hourly wage based on the type of work I was doing, so I was not part of any tip-pool.

 

That was in 2007 - not sure how it might have changed in the last 4 years.

 

Jeff

[Turtles06]

In addition to the daily service charge, we always give an extra tip to our cabin steward. These folks work really hard. They are cleaning up our bathroom and cabin twice a day, changing the towels, dumping the trash, etc. Not a fun job whatsoever.

 

We also tip others who have made the cruise special in whatever way that was. It might be a server at a bar who got to know us and was particularly attentive and friendly, or a server in a specialty restaurant who helped make a meal memorable. It varies from cruise to cruise.

[Doonan]

The crew make the cruise for me .. Just the good morning, how are you etc ... not a thing one gets in daily life ashore.

 

I am happy to pay the daily charge. I also give extra for the cabin attendent's (both) and the waiters at the dining table (both). At times some bar staff.

 

As regards the Daily Charge ... I am happy to pay this for many of the smiles etc, are from crew all over the ship and its nice to know they will get something.

 

Some people cancel the daily charge .. then say I tip direct the people that give me service .. I always think about the crew that do little things for me all day they deserve something ... I also wonder if 2 people in a cabin say for 14 days - Daily charge would be about $280 ... do they hand out that at much, or just big man themselves and hand out about $100.

 

Any crewmember that reads this post ... thanks you make my holiday.

 

Neil

[ehfl]

Anyone who provides good service gets an additional tip. Stateroom attendants and bar-staff generally work for well-below minimum wage (although they do get room and board). The staff you generally interact with depend on tips for the majority of their income. If they provide decent service, we give a little extra. If they provide really good service, we take care of them at the end of the cruise with a generous cash tip. They are also generally supporting several family members back home.

[77Network]

I have done some research on this turning in tips issue as well. I could not understand why there were some people who claimed one thing and some who claimed something else. What I learned is that the contracts are negotiated differently for each ship. So it is possible that a cruise line may have some ships where crew members pocket all cash tips and some ships where cash tips get pooled and redistributed. And there are some where the pool distribution changes based on how much of the HSC the guest chose to pay.

The only way you can know what is going on is to ask at the pursers desk once you are on board.

I don’t like the HSC. It is too inflexible for my personality. On my last cruise, I ate all my meals on the balcony. I found out that 1/3rd of my HSC was going to my dining room waiters who I had never met. I adjusted it down and gave the money in cash to my room steward and the room service guys.

I prefer a system where I tip the people I am happy with and they in turn can share it with whoever helps them.

[Boytjie]

I have done some research on this turning in tips issue as well. I could not understand why there were some people who claimed one thing and some who claimed something else. What I learned is that the contracts are negotiated differently for each ship. So it is possible that a cruise line may have some ships where crew members pocket all cash tips and some ships where cash tips get pooled and redistributed. And there are some where the pool distribution changes based on how much of the HSC the guest chose to pay.

 

The only way you can know what is going on is to ask at the pursers desk once you are on board.

 

May I ask what your sources were? And what was your experience at the Front desk when asking them what that ship's policy was?

[keithm]

If the cruise line includes a daily per person charge for gratuities, do you generally give additional tips in the restaurants, bars and to your cabin attendant on top of what the cruise line is already charging, or does it depend on what type of service your receive, i.e. do you only give an additional tip if the service has been outstanding?

I never tip for room service on the ship. It's part of what you already pay for. As to the steward,head waiter..We tip about $50/ea(10 day cruise)Butler(if we're so lucky)about the same. Berlitz cruise guide suggests about $5-6 per person per day. So far we've had very good service(on Cunard)so we've never really varied from that amount. Auto tip is already $11-13per day per pax, so what we pay is fair over the norm.

[rucrazy]

do you only give an additional tip if the service has been outstanding?

 

 

That statement is exactly the way we approach it..

[Doonan]

I never tip for room service on the ship. It's part of what you already pay for. As to the steward,head waiter..We tip about $50/ea(10 day cruise)Butler(if we're so lucky)about the same. Berlitz cruise guide suggests about $5-6 per person per day. So far we've had very good service(on Cunard)so we've never really varied from that amount. Auto tip is already $11-13per day per pax, so what we pay is fair over the norm.

 

I go along with that ... I do not tip for room service as most of the time I just have a coffee/orange juice in the morning (not every day) ... I see that as part of the service. I have never had dinner on the balcony or a meal in the cabin and guess that would be different.

 

I would add tipping with money on the ship is difficult (i seen to get a different person every time with room service) as I never have any cash handy on an ongoing basis.

 

Neil

[Rodbarry]

If the cruise line includes a daily per person charge for gratuities, do you generally give additional tips in the restaurants, bars and to your cabin attendant on top of what the cruise line is already charging, or does it depend on what type of service your receive, i.e. do you only give an additional tip if the service has been outstanding?

We only tip our room steward given the requests and personal interaction etc. Once tipping is included, why pay everyone more? The issue is for the employers to pay adequate wages, not for us to supplement. Tipping just for a drink is ridiculous....but we are Aussies with a tradition not to tip here!

Rod and Barry

[keithm]

We only tip our room steward given the requests and personal interaction etc. Once tipping is included, why pay everyone more? The issue is for the employers to pay adequate wages, not for us to supplement. Tipping just for a drink is ridiculous....but we are Aussies with a tradition not to tip here!

Rod and Barry

Yes, my partner's Chinese & they aren't much for tipping either.

[FinlandGuy]

Although I'm from a country which doesn't have a tipping tradition, we usually give a couple of €/$ tip for room service, because we tend to order many plates or a big breakfast if eating in cabin. For the rest we always do prepaid tipping even if we're not on select/my time dining.

[AFuncruiser]

I almost always leave the cabin Stewart an extra tip if they have done a good job. I find that a $5.00 tip to a bar waiter at my favorite happy hour watering hole guarantees me exceptionally good service. As far as the dining room staff it is hit and miss. Lately I have found the restaurant service greatly diminished as a result of assigning the waiters too many tables and I do not feel it necessary to tip for poor service.

Dennis

475 days at sea

40 cruises

11 cruise lines

T/P, T/A, Hawaii, Central & South America, New Zealand & South Pacific, Rio/ Amazon