How much to leave as extra gratuities?

[Waihekean]

It seems that everyone gives tip to room service in the range of $1 - $5.

 

I am still confused about the waiters and the room steward. Range seems to be $10-$30, but is that per person or per couple?

 

Only done one cruise and although on a non tipping Australian ship (besides the auto tip, which left in place) gave the waiter $30 plus a mention on the card, his assistant $20 and room steward $20.

Was sailing with my mother and she is really against tipping being from Europe, so she did not leave a tip.

We are going on a cruise to the Med soon and I am thinking to do the same or should we do the double amount?

[Nebr.cruiser]

What you tipped is plenty. You don't actually have to leave extra for the waiter or stewards (as long as you leave the auto tip on.

 

When we tip extra (usually $20-$40), that amount is for both of us. Of course, you can always tip more.

 

The daily service charge is fine if you don't care to tip more.

[jackdiamond]

If you do not remove the auto tip, then the additional tips are a matter of your personal beliefs. As a rule of thumb, we usually tip $2.00. to $3.00, for room service morning coffee, and $5.00, for a full breakfast. Sadly, some folks remove the auto tips, but they are best ignored.

[Putterdude]

For a 7 day cruise we usually give our cabin steward, waiter and assistant waiter and extra $20 if they do a good job for us and we would double that on 14 day junket.

[cheryl20772]

After our last B2B 23 days cruise I loved to personally hand our room steward and his assistant each a $20 bill on the last night of the cruise. They are too busy on debarkation day to stand around and talk, but we've had nice conversations on the last night. I found out the assistant, Boris, was debarking as well the next day to go home and see his family. He was especially grateful for the extra cash.

We also gave the maître d' a $20 and wished him farewell the last night. We had known him from a previous cruise on a different ship; so told him we looked forward to seeing him again.

We got the names of each waiter and made sure to mention them on the comment card for their excellent service. The cruise director told us that they get extra days off and promotions based on thise comment cards.

I know others probably gave more for so many days, but that was all we could afford. We give what feels good to us and what we can afford.

[Waihekean]

What you tipped is plenty. You don't actually have to leave extra for the waiter or stewards (as long as you leave the auto tip on.

 

When we tip extra (usually $20-$40), that amount is for both of us. Of course, you can always tip more.

 

The daily service charge is fine if you don't care to tip more.

 

Thank you, I will probably do the same again and my mother will be glad to know she will not have to tip extra if she does not want to.

She might though as she now realises that the crew do not earn much per month otherwise.

[cheryl20772]

You will want to keep some singles handy in case you order from room service. Most people do give the person carrying the trays to your room a dollar (or more) per person being served. Unless it's your cabin steward bringing it, those people wouldn't get a share of the gratuities automatically collected.

 

Singles are nice to give the taxi driver or the porters on the dock for handling your baggage too (a dollar per bag is what we do).

 

These we pay as we go and not on the final night.

[Miss SeaBee]

Oh, wow, I am a huge over-tipper, I guess, but when I look at what the prepaid gratuity amount is compared to the level of service we always have received, it just seems so pathetic! We give our waiter an extra $60 the last night, steward $60, butler $80. Nothing extra for the maitre d' unless he did something particularly special just for us, which has generally not been the case, although they have always come around to our table, as everyone's I'm sure, periodically to see that all is well. I consider that their job, and they are quite well paid, as opposed to lower-level service staff. I have been so amazed by how spoiled we are by the staff, who take the time to get to know us so well, and I want to make sure to compensate appropriately for how much pleasure they gave me on a wonderful vacation. And I definitely always fill out the comment cards and name everyone who made a good impression by name!

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

Oh, wow, I am a huge over-tipper, I guess, but when I look at what the prepaid gratuity amount is compared to the level of service we always have received, it just seems so pathetic! We give our waiter an extra $60 the last night, steward $60, butler $80. Nothing extra for the maitre d' unless he did something particularly special just for us, which has generally not been the case, although they have always come around to our table, as everyone's I'm sure, periodically to see that all is well. I consider that their job, and they are quite well paid, as opposed to lower-level service staff. I have been so amazed by how spoiled we are by the staff, who take the time to get to know us so well, and I want to make sure to compensate appropriately for how much pleasure they gave me on a wonderful vacation. And I definitely always fill out the comment cards and name everyone who made a good impression by name!

 

I don't think you're over tipping. I think we mostly hear from people who don't much like to tip or only tip small amounts.

[cheryl20772]

Oh, wow, I am a huge over-tipper, I guess, but when I look at what the prepaid gratuity amount is compared to the level of service we always have received, it just seems so pathetic! We give our waiter an extra $60 the last night, steward $60, butler $80.

 

I guess, if you can afford to have the butler, you can afford to tip more. We tip what we can afford and try not to feel bad about it - one way or the other. It just is what it is. I'm sure the people who receive the tips are just happy to get something extra. A smile and a thank you goes a long way too.

[orchestrapal]

Oh, wow, I am a huge over-tipper, I guess, but when I look at what the prepaid gratuity amount is compared to the level of service we always have received, it just seems so pathetic! We give our waiter an extra $60 the last night, steward $60, butler $80. see I consider that their job, and they are quite well paid, as opposed to lower-level service staff. I have been so amazed by how spoiled we are by the staff, who take the time to get to know us so well, and I want to make sure to compensate appropriately for how much pleasure they gave me on a wonderful vacation.

 

Never having sailed on X I find the amounts spoken of Very Low with exception of your post. On Oceania we would never have considered giving a butler less than $100 and often more. Maybe the service of the butlers on X just don't warrant that?:confused:

[cruiserfromohio]

I feel for the OP. Being from Europe where tipping is not an obsession, they don't know what to do. My suggestion is nothing, $0.00. X is already collecting a certain amount per day to supplement the staff's salary; that should be sufficient.

 

I must add that I do leave an extra tip for exceptional service! There are certainly occasions where that is warranted.

 

But I become concerned with people who feel it is their duty to leave an extra gratuity, just because.

 

As a value-orientated person, I reward value, not required behavior.

[cheryl20772]

Never having sailed on X I find the amounts spoken of Very Low with exception of your post. On Oceania we would never have considered giving a butler less than $100 and often more. Maybe the service of the butlers on X just don't warrant that?:confused:

With the automatically paid gratuities, the Celebrity suite Butlers get $3.50 per person per day; so the tipping we are discussing is in addition to that. As I said, we pay extra what we can afford to pay. It's certainly not required; nor expected.

 

It follows, if we could afford to pay for a suite with a butler, we might also be able to afford a bigger tip. It's kind of relative :D

[isdoo]

I feel for the OP. Being from Europe where tipping is not an obsession, they don't know what to do. My suggestion is nothing, $0.00. X is already collecting a certain amount per day to supplement the staff's salary; that should be sufficient.

 

I must add that I do leave an extra tip for exceptional service! There are certainly occasions where that is warranted.

 

But I become concerned with people who feel it is their duty to leave an extra gratuity, just because.

 

As a value-orientated person, I reward value, not required behavior.

 

Well said - agree 100%