Gratuities??

[cavergirl]

We are going on our first Windstar cruise this fall. The only other cruise we have been on was last year when we cruised on Crystal Symphony. We had prepaid gratuities (from the consortium we booked our cruise with) but the drill on that ship was that you were given envelopes at the end of the cruise and you put tips in for various staff members. I asked our travel agent about the gratuity policy on Windstar and after contacting the line directly, she was told that no tips were expected however you could tip for "exceptional service". She said they were very vague and non-commital regarding that and could get no additional information as to the actual on-board practice. They just kept saying that tipping was "not expected" and no envelopes were distributed. So how does it really work? Obviously this is a luxury cruise so service should be excellent. Do most people give tips at the end of the cruise? If so, how much? Thanks much.

[Gonedownlately?]

And because the service is so far beyond that of most other operations you'll find that you want to give a little extra to some of the staff members.

 

The main difference between Windstar and the mass market cruise lines is that the Windstar folks don't stand around with their hands out on the last day of the cruise. The company does not distribute envelopes along with a list of people to be tipped. With Windstar, if you feel like tipping your cabin steward, you can. However you'll never see the maitre d' hounding the customers during the final dinner of the cruise.

 

We sailed on the Windsurf in March and we tipped as follows:

*Cabin steward = $5/day

 

*Bar staff = $1 per order. Also, we tended to hang at one particular lounge, and the staff there made it a point to remember our names, favorite drinks, and favorite snacks. We left an extra $20 for them to split.

 

*Casino staff = when I won, they won. Just like Vegas.

 

*Dining room staff = Because Windstar does not assign dining times and seating we did not have the same server everynight, so who do you tip? I know that many passengers elected to not tip the dining room staff, and that's fine. But we felt a little funny about that. So at the end of the cruise we went to the dining room manger and had him distribute $5/day among the entire staff.

 

That's really about it. No pressure, no expectations. You can leave a little extra when you encounter extra effort, or not. The ship will provide you with envelopes if you ask, but they will not be distributed with the expectation that they be used.

 

You're going to have a great trip. Don't let this little issue get in the way of enjoying life aboard a Windstar ship!

[johnnycruise]

The cruise hostess will explain the what I considered their "subjective" tipping policy on one of the last evenings of the cruise. If you have had a favorite cocktail waiter, don't worry ... he'll be around the last evening and you will have ample opportunity to give him a tip if you wish. Your room steward will be nearby on the departure morning so you will be able to hand him a tip if you desire. The only difficult one may be the dining room waiter. The WindSurf has two restaurants so you may have to do a small bit of looking for your favorite waiter, if you had a regular one. Chances are you will request to sit in the section of your first-night waiter again and again ... they are all very good at remembering your preferences.

 

But remember, Windstar's guidelines are "Tipping not required" so please, please, tip as you wish ... no more, no less. It is totally up to you. Some people might think I am encouraging you not to tip at all, but that's not it. I don't leave guideline amounts because it is a personal decision and almost always the staff will do better when amounts (which some may then consider medians or maximums) are not listed. My experience was that a tip on Windstar was not expected, but rather earned for great service. Your experience may be different, but Windstar's policy allows each passenger to decide for him or herself.

[new_cruiser]

I tipped around $40 to the two instructors for my Discover Scuba dives. I wasn't sure if people generally tip them, but they did such a great job. It also was hard to know if the amount was appropriate. They seemed happy about it.

[rickcohen2]

Cavergirl,

 

You're getting good advice here. Indeed, no envelopes and no expectations. The hostess does cover it the last night at the talk before dinner. Nobody has that "look" in their eyes the last night or morning. Since it's sooo casual all around, you'll feel nobody else is even thinking about tips.

 

But like gonedownlately (howdy buddy) said, you most likely will find yourself actually wanting to.

 

We, however, have always enjoyed handing something to the cabin steward the last morning. We also tend to always have the same dinner arrangements and so have the same waiter, who we also like to acknowledge with a gratuity. We don't tend to do the bartenders, but then again, we don't spend hours with them either. As for the dive staff: I am a diver and spend hours upon hours with them, but I guess I never thought of it before... not sure if new_cruiser isn't the first who has. The casino staff, for the first time, did really well by me this last trip (really well)! If they hadn't, they would have gotten what they usually get from me. :(

 

Windstar is a great way to go! The staff, food, furnishings and "feel" of these ships are all wonderful. And, if there's anything you feel is NOT wonderful, be sure to let somebody know about it right-away ... it WILL get taken care of for you. That's just the way they are.

 

You're gonna love it! Come back and let us know how much you enjoyed yourselves, and for when you've scheduled your next trip. ;)

[Gonedownlately?]

Thanks again for the underwater photos. I must confess that I have passed them off as my own to people I want to impress/make jealous...!

 

I'm looking for a dive partner for next April...!? I know Royal Caribbean's AOS is a floating hotel, but we're honoring our Dutch heritage (my folks were immigrants from Holland in the 1950's...) by dragging the entire family to Aruba, Curacao, and St. Marteen. Not the Windsurf, but the diving should be decent...

[upgrademe]

I couldn't have put it any better

Usually be end of 1st day, you will be on a first name basis with your crew. At the end of the week, you will want to express your gratitude for the friendly, attentive service you receive.

[cavergirl]

Thanks to all who responded. The input was very helpful. We are really looking forward to the experience. :)