Tipping from a cruise staff perspective

[calliopecruiser]

I don't think the staff will know until you are gone that you've been generous or a stiff.

 

So what? It's the staff on board, while you are gone, that is the important part.......they will have names and photos of those who decided not to pre-pay gratuities, and they will likely do their darndest to remember who you are throughout the cruise. (They have names and photos of everyone, but they will make a point of remembering some more than others). And even if you tip them well, they will know that you might be stiffing their buddies and supportive co-workers - remember that good service is almost always a team effort.

[HawaiiUK]

"Pre-paid tips" - an oxymoron, surely?

 

This has been an interesting thread, but may I just ask: the comment made

 

"Now, there's a good plan. :rolleyes: To plan, in advance, of even arriving on the ship to remove your tips. ... Please think carefully about 'stiffing' them if that is the plan some of you have in mind."

 

Is 'removing tips ahead of time' the same as 'not planning on giving tips' the same thing? Just checking whether we're talking the same semantics. If I choose not to pre-pay, but to give cash in dollars at the end of the cruise, how is that 'stiffing' anyone? I may have misinterpreted what's being said here.

[calliopecruiser]

Is 'removing tips ahead of time' the same as 'not planning on giving tips' the same thing? Just checking whether we're talking the same semantics. If I choose not to pre-pay, but to give cash in dollars at the end of the cruise, how is that 'stiffing' anyone? I may have misinterpreted what's being said here.

 

It may or may not be the same thing, depending on who and how much a person tips at the end of the trip. As the poster specifically said, "IF that is the plan some of you have in mind" Certainly not pre-paying gratuities (or service charges, as I think of them) raises a flag that a passenger either doesn't want to tip everyone involved, or is planning on tipping less than is typical (like a guy who tips a buck or two on a $50 dinner and think he's not cheap because he "left a tip.").

[Mzhelen]

I have always left the pre-paid's as is. I know those get distributed to a lot of people I may never see, who are still responsible for the quality of the cruise (additional housekeeping staff, bus boys, sous chefs, maintenance, etc.).

 

My policy has always been if a particular person has given me extra special service, I will tip them extra in cash. Some cruises no one has been special and other cruises several people "earned" an extra thank you. I take it on a case by case basis.

 

The only time I PRE tip my steward is if I know in advance I'm going to need a little extra attention. For instance, on one cruise we brought wine, tequila & margarita mix in rum runners (please don't comment on that - everyone has a different opinion on the appropriateness of that, and there are plenty of other threads for THAT discussion :eek: ). We needed ice, extra glasses, etc. for our afternoon cocktails on the balcony. We tipped our steward an extra $40 when we first boarded, thanking him for his help and discretion before he ever even saw anything. He made sure we had ice and extra glasses, never said a word, and we gave him an extra $40 at the end. We saved a couple of hundred dollars so the $80 in extra tips was well worth it.

[bus man]

For instance, on one cruise we brought wine, tequila & margarita mix in rum runners (please don't comment on that - everyone has a different opinion on the appropriateness of that, and there are plenty of other threads for THAT discussion :eek: )

 

Aw, come on, can't we comment on it? Please? Imagine the fun we could have, combining a tipping thread with a smuggling thread! :D

[Mermen]

Cruise Staff, we appreciate your OP and the other contributions you made to this important thread. I, for one, did not know that the tips / gratuities were pooled. In the past, we enjoy paying out the whole (suggested) gratuity along with additional gratuity for great service. We like passing out the thank you cards with cash. Something else we like to do, along with the additional gratuities, is to bring gifts from our home in SF. We sail =X=, and I know her ships do not often stop over in, or embark in SF.

 

Another thing we like to do is to write comment cards throughout the cruise, thanking that guy who always is cleaning the Thallossotherapy area, or the towel guy who is always folding...and mention them by name. I work in hospitality, and understand how important a kudos or heart-felt, "Thank you" really is.

 

Moving forward, we will leave our auto gratuity on, not pay it out at the end of the cruise. Will continue to gladly provide thank you cards with additional gratuities to those men and women who make our vacations so memorable.

[wvlibra]

I pay the per day tip and eat in the buffet or speciality restaurants the rest of the time. I also tip the servers in the speciality restaurants and my room steward. Thank you Joel (room steward) for your hard work and helping make my cruise enjoyable. I tip my room steward at the beginning of the trip, midweek, and at the end of the week. I have never seen such hard-working individuals as I do on cruise ships. I believe if you cannot afford to tip, go to a fast food restaurant at home; likewise, if you cannot afford to tip, stay off the cruise ship. This is part of the cost. Enjoy your cruise!

[Mzhelen]

Aw, come on, can't we comment on it? Please? Imagine the fun we could have, combining a tipping thread with a smuggling thread! :D

 

Smart aleck! ;)

[jacoussi george]

:)Just a quick reply to all...cruises are not for the weak at heart or cheap with the pocket book! If you cannot go on a cruise and have the time of your life, then get off the ship! As far as the crew is concerned, whatever they are paid I can only hope that every passenger gives as much "tip" as he can afford. They all (meaning the crew) work their butts off and make you feel like royalty. It is the only place in the world that I personally receive service like that! Attention all crew, pay no attention to thoes unappreciative passengers and remember, most of us think you do a Great Job! Many heartful thanks.

Jacoussi George :)

[IrishLassie]

:)Just a quick reply to all...cruises are not for the weak at heart or cheap with the pocket book! If you cannot go on a cruise and have the time of your life, then get off the ship! As far as the crew is concerned, whatever they are paid I can only hope that every passenger gives as much "tip" as he can afford. They all (meaning the crew) work their butts off and make you feel like royalty. It is the only place in the world that I personally receive service like that! Attention all crew, pay no attention to thoes unappreciative passengers and remember, most of us think you do a Great Job! Many heartful thanks.

Jacoussi George :)

 

DITTO to the above! :)

[sail7seas]

:)Just a quick reply to all...cruises are not for the weak at heart or cheap with the pocket book! If you cannot go on a cruise and have the time of your life, then get off the ship! As far as the crew is concerned, whatever they are paid I can only hope that every passenger gives as much "tip" as he can afford. They all (meaning the crew) work their butts off and make you feel like royalty. It is the only place in the world that I personally receive service like that! Attention all crew, pay no attention to thoes unappreciative passengers and remember, most of us think you do a Great Job! Many heartful thanks.

Jacoussi George :)

 

 

Thumbs up.

What a great post. :)

 

[Cruise staff]

:)Just a quick reply to all...cruises are not for the weak at heart or cheap with the pocket book! If you cannot go on a cruise and have the time of your life, then get off the ship! As far as the crew is concerned, whatever they are paid I can only hope that every passenger gives as much "tip" as he can afford. They all (meaning the crew) work their butts off and make you feel like royalty. It is the only place in the world that I personally receive service like that! Attention all crew, pay no attention to thoes unappreciative passengers and remember, most of us think you do a Great Job! Many heartful thanks.

Jacoussi George :)

 

On behalf of all crew members and myself....THANK YOU!!!!!

[Nadey]

I never knew tips were pooled. Just got off the Allure of the Seas on Sunday and paid in cash in envelopes on the last night the MDR staff and stateroom attendent. We had great service and I want those people compensated. We paid more than suggested in the envelopes. When I go to to a hotel for a week in Vegas I always tip the room attendent in the beginning as we usually never see them and they will make sure you get all the extras you need in the room. My grandma was a motel maid and we always tip.

[lloydgregory]

Why would it be an insult?

Dear Paul,

Although I no longer work on cruise ships I do work as a waiter in a restaurant and I personally would be insulted by being given a tip ahead of giving service. I do appreciate tips both for the monetary value, as wages are traditionally low, but more so as a barometer that I have pleased the customer with good service, as all of us hope to achieve all the time but tipping ahead suggests to me that you would believe I would not give you good service unless you tipped me in advance. Most service staff take pride in their jobs and do them well for their own satisfaction as well as the customer.

I hope I do not sound as if I am preaching but i would hate that you would upset someone unknowingly and with possibly good intentions,

Best wishes Steve

[Andromeda_Infusion]

We have cruised quite a bit, this has been a very interesting thread, we have seen responses from such a wide variety of people, On our recent 39 day cruise we had discussed this topic a lot, as an Australian who doesnt come from a culture of tipping, we wanted to do the right thing.

Thanks to the cruisecrew comments, it is appreciated no matter what cruise line you work for.

[2BeOnaBoat]

Dear Paul,

Although I no longer work on cruise ships I do work as a waiter in a restaurant and I personally would be insulted by being given a tip ahead of giving service. I do appreciate tips both for the monetary value, as wages are traditionally low, but more so as a barometer that I have pleased the customer with good service, as all of us hope to achieve all the time but tipping ahead suggests to me that you would believe I would not give you good service unless you tipped me in advance. Most service staff take pride in their jobs and do them well for their own satisfaction as well as the customer.

I hope I do not sound as if I am preaching but i would hate that you would upset someone unknowingly and with possibly good intentions,

Best wishes Steve

 

http://tipping.org/tips/restaurant.html

 

"Maitre'd - A good maitre'd can make your dining experience extraordinary. However, they can also make it a pretty bad one. They can definitely make it better on successive visits by greeting you by name, sitting you at your favorite spot, making sure you have good service, the list goes on and on. It is my suggestion that you tip the maitre'd well, and usually as you are about to get seated. Never after you're seated or else you loose the effect on the first visit. As you sit down is also good. Any restaurant that has a maitre'd is 'usually' a good one, so go ahead and splurge."

 

I wouldn't tip a waiter in advance but maybe other positions.

[mrocho46]

I've been on 16 cruises and although sometimes not always perfect, I always go with the ships polcy of adding the gratuity to the bill every day. These staff work hard and some with long hours, broken up shifts, etc. The wait staff are also workng at a number of venues around the ship. If my cabin steward keeps the room clean, I'm happy. If they go that extra mile when I ask them if they can do something for me as a favor, I will gladly tip extra at the end. I also generally choose the dine around and anytime dining. I have no qualms about tipping the wait staff. If I enjoy the cruise (which I have with the exception of one I booked against the advice of my travel agent, he advised the cruiseline was not our cup of tea (should have listened to him) I still kept the daily tipping charged to the bill. Any problems that has arisen during the cruise, was not the fault of the regular service staff, so they shouldn't have to pay for the mistakes of others. I've even heard fellow passengers chatting about the fact that they spent too much money on other things ( usually bar tabs, excursons or onboard shopping ) and would have the daily charges removed in an attempt to lower the cost of their trip. God forbid something like gratuities should interfere with their enjoyment. They figure they may never see the crew members again. Beware: Crew tend to move around the fleet. I generally cruise one line only (Princess) and yes. I've recognized staff from other ships and they also remember us which is always a nice touch. So in ending, please don't short change the service staff on your cruise. Most of them do deserve to receive the grauity and depend on it usually to live on or support their families. Don't make the rest of the staff suffer over some trivial incident especially if it's out of their control, unless of course, you are just looking for a reason to get out of paying gratuities.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Apparently I have opened a can of worms here on the board...and I mean a BIG can....lol

 

Sorry I was away for the weekend and could not log on to respond to all your questions ( many albeit )

 

To start off, tipping at the beginning of the cruise and at the end of the cruise is neither an insult to crewmembers nor any benefits. These are all someones preference. Off course, some stewards will take this as a "knowing what to expect" at the end of the cruise and give better service. As I say, to each its own.

 

For a poster to think that the auto tip is a scam is just baseless. I am surprise that this "scam" works, I wonder why it is not implemented on hotels and train travels, restaurant and other service based industry. Your notion that the cruise line will be able to charge a lower fare and scam the cruiser is beyond me.

 

I am sure that hotel rates are low because they expect the guest to tip the stewards that cleans the room or pay the server more tips for offering service to the guest. Or the Amtrak train offering low cost travel because they expect the rider to pony up money to pay for their conductor and engineers. You comparison to a mercedes is just out of whack. When a manufacturer builds a car, all overheads are included in the price you pay. Whatever they sell for are profits. That is why they can offer you a deep discounts on cars.

 

If you are running for President, with that kind of logic and notion, I am sure you will garner lots of voters. :rolleyes:

 

From what I understand and I will admit I may be wrong on this but whatever gratuities that cabin stewards get goes directly to them. Again, this will also depends of the honesty of the crew member if they have to share their tips.

 

And yes, they will have a list of passengers in their section who removes the grats. The latter I know because on my last ship, I was the night manager and I prepare a report for the Executive Housekeeper and gets sent to them every morning.

 

For passengers on a world cruise or cruise that lasted longer than 10 days, gets paid out at the end of their cruise or monthly whichever comes first. For crew members that leave in between, their share of the grats get prorated to whatever dates they work till and get paid to them when they leave. So when the new cabin steward joins and replaces him or her, they start off fresh.

 

Lastly to clarify,my being here is just to give you a perspective of a cruise staff. I am in no way representing my cruise line nor any other cruise line. Some information provided here are just basic information to the best of my knowledge and from what I see from some posters, seems to be nit picking all the small information. Now I see why not many cruise staff post on boards...:rolleyes:

 

Thank you for coming here.

[PattyG12]

We always pre-pay our tips and give cash at the end for superior service. I understand that about 20% of the people that cruise do not tip at all. If that's true, and the auto tips are pooled, then my tips are making up for others that don't feel like they have to .... It really makes me sad that people don't understand how important these charges really are.

[bonsai3s]

:)Just a quick reply to all...cruises are not for the weak at heart or cheap with the pocket book! If you cannot go on a cruise and have the time of your life, then get off the ship! As far as the crew is concerned, whatever they are paid I can only hope that every passenger gives as much "tip" as he can afford. They all (meaning the crew) work their butts off and make you feel like royalty. It is the only place in the world that I personally receive service like that! Attention all crew, pay no attention to thoes unappreciative passengers and remember, most of us think you do a Great Job! Many heartful thanks.

Jacoussi George :)

 

Jacoussi George...we agree. We've been extremely happy with the service onboard...all ships, cruiselines, short and long cruises...we see these guys go above and beyond what they have to do and definitely "earn" their tips.

Perhaps its more obvious to us when we eat out AFTER our cruise...the service we get at restaurants on "land" are non-existent at best..."can I have more water please"...

[compozer]

http://tipping.org/tips/restaurant.html

 

"Maitre'd - A good maitre'd can make your dining experience extraordinary. However, they can also make it a pretty bad one. They can definitely make it better on successive visits by greeting you by name, sitting you at your favorite spot, making sure you have good service, the list goes on and on. It is my suggestion that you tip the maitre'd well, and usually as you are about to get seated. Never after you're seated or else you loose the effect on the first visit. As you sit down is also good. Any restaurant that has a maitre'd is 'usually' a good one, so go ahead and splurge."

 

I wouldn't tip a waiter in advance but maybe other positions.

 

I tried to tip our maitre'd once (at the end) but he would bot accept it. He was super - stopped at our table every night and usually sat and talked over a glass of wine.

 

But I find the head waiters are the ones that make the evening special. They are the ones that seat you not the Maitre'd.

 

The only time I have tipped early was on Christmas - I gave our steward a gift.

[Hodgy11]

OK, this is probably a bit different, but I did notice a similar question didn't get replied to on a previous page.

We are going on a Mediterranean Cruise (24 days) later in the year, but I also note that the ship then travels back to the US after our Cruise.

So, should I tip the extra in US$ or Euro, or won't it matter.

I also think our Cruise is basically in 2 sections, Barcelona-Venice & Venice- Venice, so should I tip after each section, or only if I become aware that staff are moving on?

Cheers

Hodgy11

[ellay864]

I was also wanting to ask the dollar v euro question. I'm a Brit going on a med cruise with pre-paid gratuities. So the only reason I'd need dollars is if I had to have them for tips. Obviously far more convenient NOT to have to do that...will staff accept euro tips or feel a bit put out? We're on Celebrity if that makes a difference. Hope somebody can reply soon as I'm getting holiday cash sorted tomorrow!

[cruisehound1943]

A great way to "bribe" the staff in advance is to smile and introduce yourself and ask them a little about themselves (not when they are hurrying to get everyone's luggage set up, of get the first night's tables set up), say thank you A LOT, ask for things in advance, not at the last moment, if possible; and generally treat these wonderful people like wonderful people.

 

You will be re-paid many times with even more excellent service.

 

That is great advice.We should all remember the golden rule (Treat them the same way you would like to be treated)I have seen so many passengers treat there cabinn stewarts like slaves and it infuriates me.They work very hard with little pay and are away from there families for long periods of time just to make our cruise enjoyable.In fact most of them go above what is required of them to do just that.If you can not afford to treat these people with the respect they deserve and tip them accordingly then you need to go find another method of travelling.Try hitchhiking.A thank you does not cost you a cent

[madelinerose]

To start off, tipping at the beginning of the cruise and at the end of the cruise is neither an insult to crewmembers nor any benefits. These are all someones preference. Off course, some stewards will take this as a "knowing what to expect" at the end of the cruise and give better service. As I say, to each its own.

 

Thank you. ;)