How "generous" are your tips?

[Cruisin 4 Ever]

I rarely tip the bartenders. They are already getting 15% on every drink I buy.

For the wait staff - it all depends. Since I've already tipped with my gratuities, I only tip extra if I feel the server has done a great job. So-so service does not earn an extra tip from me. However, I rarely have so-so service on Carnival so I usually just wait until the last night and give around $20.

Room steward - I always give $20 at the end and get good service. However, I have been reading on these boards that some people do the tip upfront and feel they get even better service so I may try that on my next cruise just to compare.

Although it's probably more extortion than a service deserving of a tip, I highly recommend tipping the porters (longshoreman union I understand?)if you are at the port of Miami. On my very first cruise my family and I got off the motorcoach and were mesmerized by the ship we were about to board. We were a little overwhoelmed looking for where we go, all the commotion etc. We grabbed our bags and started to head to the terminal - the porters at the bus who had moved the bags about 10 feet from inside the coach to a line in front of the coach starting screaming at my husband and I that we were not to take our bags as we hadn't yet tipped them, what was wrong with us, we don't know we have to pay them? etc. Tons of people were staring at us and we were humiliated. I was so disgusted I refused and kept walking. They continued to yell at us until we actually went into the terminal. Even though I know I shouldn't tip out of fear, I always give them a few bucks now, the consequence of not giving a few dollars to these guys is just not worth it!!

[Room Service!]

I was so disgusted I refused and kept walking.

 

Good for you. They deserved NOTHING!

[Herbaltees]

Thank you everyone for your responses. This thread was very helpful in judging what is considered above and beyond service. I do think some of these reported tips are much more generous tha we can afford to be, but im sure we can we won't be deemed 'offensively cheap'.

[PAPERBKWRITER]

We tip $1 per drink order, $20 extra to the room steward $10 to the helper for 7 days and same in MDR. For laundry we give $2. Room service $2 and $2 for the platinum and casino strawberry covered choclates.

[TriciaEMTB]

Thank you everyone for your responses. This thread was very helpful in judging what is considered above and beyond service. I do think some of these reported tips are much more generous tha we can afford to be, but im sure we can we won't be deemed 'offensively cheap'.

 

I think the only way you woul be cheap is if you removed the tips.

 

 

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[AmberTeka]

I dont even make that with overtime.

 

 

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First of all, I tip extra because my husband needs a sharps box quickly...and often we have the beds rearranged. Hard work that. Also we are very lucky in getting folks on Carnival that we WANT to tip extra because they were so willing to help us with requests..

 

THAT SAID....In most of the nations where the workers for cruise ships come from..they make more than University professors. the cost of living is low. If they bank their money..they can return home and have a nice start on a business..college for their children..college for themselves.....I have read where most make $1500 a month. It would be difficult to live on that in the USA..and in the USA people with that salary qualify for food stamps, free housing vouchers. medicade. free cell phones.

 

In Bali...none of that. In Haiti ..none of that.

So...as the USA becomes more and more of a second world nation.....we are already seeing a lot of things go under..like Medicare will go first.....Unions ( through their own corrupt faul IMHO)

It is not a bad job. The room and board..ability to save..good. My brother built his home with money he saved while working on the Pipeline at Prudhoe Bay.

[bartleby112]

Tipping?

 

If I receive bad service from one person, or they change our ports around, I promptly remove my automatic tips!

 

: ) lol

[mikel24m]

Don't feel badly about it at all. Leaving programmed tips on and tipping for extra service is just fine. You're probably above the average. Half these MONSTER-TIPPING posters are probably lying right through their teeth.:)

 

 

In this entire thread I havent seen one monster tipper as you call them . $1 for a drink or maybe a $20 to your room steward is far from that .This is the internet I think alot more honesty than not regarding tipping at least :)

[TriciaEMTB]

In this entire thread I havent seen one monster tipper as you call them . $1 for a drink or maybe a $20 to your room steward is far from that .This is the internet I think alot more honesty than not regarding tipping at least :)

 

You dont think $50 to the shuttle driver and $100 to the room steward and waiter EACH are monster tipping?

 

 

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[mikel24m]

I rarely tip the bartenders. They are already getting 15% on every drink I buy.

For the wait staff - it all depends. Since I've already tipped with my gratuities, I only tip extra if I feel the server has done a great job. So-so service does not earn an extra tip from me. However, I rarely have so-so service on Carnival so I usually just wait until the last night and give around $20.

Room steward - I always give $20 at the end and get good service. However, I have been reading on these boards that some people do the tip upfront and feel they get even better service so I may try that on my next cruise just to compare.

Although it's probably more extortion than a service deserving of a tip, I highly recommend tipping the porters (longshoreman union I understand?)if you are at the port of Miami. On my very first cruise my family and I got off the motorcoach and were mesmerized by the ship we were about to board. We were a little overwhoelmed looking for where we go, all the commotion etc. We grabbed our bags and started to head to the terminal - the porters at the bus who had moved the bags about 10 feet from inside the coach to a line in front of the coach starting screaming at my husband and I that we were not to take our bags as we hadn't yet tipped them, what was wrong with us, we don't know we have to pay them? etc. Tons of people were staring at us and we were humiliated. I was so disgusted I refused and kept walking. They continued to yell at us until we actually went into the terminal. Even though I know I shouldn't tip out of fear, I always give them a few bucks now, the consequence of not giving a few dollars to these guys is just not worth it!!

 

Being a union man myself I guarantee I wouldnt have given the porter a penny.Being yelled at to tip them is a little much.They are awesome though when your leaving the ship ,they get you off the ship through customs really fast

[mikel24m]

You dont think $50 to the shuttle driver and $100 to the room steward and waiter EACH are monster tipping?

 

 

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130 responses maybe 1 or 2.In the actual world their are people who tip above and beyond.As you said as long as you keep the auto grats on the staff is thankful

[nitro2448]

In this entire thread I havent seen one monster tipper as you call them . $1 for a drink or maybe a $20 to your room steward is far from that .This is the internet I think alot more honesty than not regarding tipping at least :)

 

There was one, maybe you missed it. At least one person said they gave $100 each to CS, waiter, and M'D. That's kind monsterish

[bruisin4cruisin]

DW hates my tipping habits, because I tip everyone that I feel is relevant.

 

Here is my list.....

1. Porter at the pier. $10

2. Shuttle driver from car to pier. $5

3. Steward. $50 if they remember my name the first night they see me without there list. $25 if they never remember my name. More is added or taken away depending on service.

4. Room Service $2 or $3. Depends on how much food was ordered.

5. Casino employee. Whatever is relative to my wins. $5 if I lose quickly.

6. Waiters and bartenders I have never thought of tipping, mainly because of the tip being set up on the receipt and I do not carry cash when I am walking the ship or hanging at the pool with my 18 towels and 17 empty chairs to watch people frown. (JUST KIDDING!)

[alreadypacked]

Must be a Jersey thing. Never seen any of my bartenders fired. Buy backs are omnipresent where I'm from, for at least 40 years.

 

I think it depends a lot on what type of establishment the bartender is working in (corporate owned bar/restaurant, private owner, small mom & pop place).

 

The bartenders at the corporate owned restaurant where my sister works could never give free drinks because it would be considered stealing and they could be fired. There's even security cameras over the bar.

[MikeM]

We leave prescribed tips in place.

$2 per bag for pre cruise porter with an $5 minimum for bag security.

$10 for laundry bags per occurrence to room steward even though we get it for free.

$50 extra to room steward and $25 to his assistant at end of trip. (7 day) more for longer trips.

$3 for room service per order.

As we do anytime dinning nowadays we do not extra tip as we get someone different just about every meal.

$2 per bag for post cruise porter with an $8 minimum.

We do not tip bar waiters.

Total for us at about $150 per trip additional.

[MrPete]

I think it depends a lot on what type of establishment the bartender is working in (corporate owned bar/restaurant, private owner, small mom & pop place).

 

The bartenders at the corporate owned restaurant where my sister works could never give free drinks because it would be considered stealing and they could be fired. There's even security cameras over the bar.

 

Guess I've never been in one of those.

[Blondilu]

We have always paid our tips that are on the bill we receive I guess we always thought that was sufficient as we are not demanding and don't mess up I now feel bad since everyone seems to tip above and beyond what is on the bill. Our funds are very limited and we have to budget everything. Is it wrong to just tip what is on our bill if we don't do anything extra. Would always tip of course if we ordered room service.

 

I leave the pre-paid tips intact and feel that is mostly enough. I will give a couple of dollars to room service if I use it, which is rare. At the end of the cruise I will give extra to my room steward, usually $20. Mostly because I readily admit to not being very tidy and am occasionally kind of pesky with requests. Those guys (or gals) are the greatest, IMO. I don't drink much so feel the 15% is sufficient. After reading these posts I think I'll give a dollar to the drink runner at shows, etc. Oh yeah, I give something to anyone carrying my bags which I kind of resent because I can carry my own bags very well, thank you.

 

I, too, have limited funds, and these kinds of extras can sure add up fast. Quick note: if you ever use an extra service like the spa, be sure and take your glasses to read the fine print! I like to try and budget for something like that as a special treat. But, they add a 15% gratuity as well. I didn't know that and seriously overtipped them once. Didn't even know it til much later at home when I actually put on my glasses and read the receipt. Ugh.

[kathryn747]

the teacher would give me a star if i used the letters "you're".

 

That's a good won.

[mamasue]

We always prepay the tips with the cruise payment....

Never give the room steward a bribe beforehand, and we have still always got wonderful service...

Might give the waiters an extra tip at the end....they're usually great... never had a bad one....

Never ever tip the maitre'd....they get decent wages anyway... and the only time we've seen one is on the last night, when, they appear to' ask if everything's ok' !

[twindaddy]

To the OP, leaving your tips in place constitutes perfectly fine tipping INMHO.

 

If you get awesome service, tip extra if you can afford it, but dont feel guilty not doing it. I have tipped extra regularly, but I have only sailed Disney, never on Carnival.

 

I order maybe two drinks a day, left the 15% in place, and never had a problem getting another one.

[mikel24m]

A great show on as we speak Spike TV Bar Rescue

 

cheers

[mcat12]

 

I, too, have limited funds, and these kinds of extras can sure add up fast. Quick note: if you ever use an extra service like the spa, be sure and take your glasses to read the fine print! I like to try and budget for something like that as a special treat. But, they add a 15% gratuity as well. I didn't know that and seriously overtipped them once. Didn't even know it til much later at home when I actually put on my glasses and read the receipt. Ugh.

 

 

Really?????? The spa adds 15% too????? Wow! I always tip around $30-50 depending on what service I get. Now I also want to say "Ugh"!

[305diva]

Mostly I agree that the prepaid gratuities are sufficient. We tip $1 per bag when we check our luggage. Also, we do utilize room service (early morning coffee and late night sandwiches) so we tip $2 per delivery. As suggested by another post, I will start tipping an extra $20 to the room steward in exchange for keeping our ice bucket full. :D

[rferr]

I have read so many threads where ppl mention tipping and how they tip so very "generous" or "well".

 

What does that mean? What is the tip you give a bartender for serving you? Or a staff member doing something you deem extra? or beyond their normal realm of service?

 

Is it $2? $5? $20? more?

 

We are sailing in just a short while and I want to be sure I have enough cash to tip "well".

 

Thanks in advance for your honesty.

 

I tip the prepaid tips that is it except for room service which i generally do not use.

[cRu$1N]

For 7 day on last trip we tipped our bartenders (3) a total of $30 extra. One more that the others as he served us more often. Tipped Maitra'd $10 as he moved us the the middle of the dinning room as we requested, our head waiter $45, assistant waiter $25, dinning room guy who got my husband's beer $5. We also tipped our Steward $20 upon arrival and then and additional $60 (hate to say it, but I am not the neatest person at home) also, as I smoke I always had a clean ashtray on the balcony and all the orange juice (mamosas) and ice (beer bucket) we needed. We tipped $2 for each room service and $2 per bag we checked. And of course we tipped for our massages, however, I saw a post earlier that said the tip was already included... Didn't know that, oh well, really good massage, really good tip I guess.