Tip question

[Eliot Ness]

.......Would we accept the suggested amount a little easier if they gave us a range as guidelines? For example...........

On our first three cruises it was still based on giving a cash tip on the last night. They gave you an envelope for each tip and had a guideline on the suggested amount for each person. For the service we received I thought the guidelines were quite fair and actually gave each person more than what was suggested.

 

Although I enjoyed giving out the tips personally, I can see some merit in the "automatic tipping" so PAX won't forget to tip these hard working folks that work so hard at making a cruise very enjoyable. I still have the option of increasing the tip amount on our S&S card or to give an additional cash tip for service that excels the norm. You could also decrease the amount given on your S&S card, but I've never had to consider doing that.

 

From my days in the USAF I have been to some of the countries where these cruise employees live and I've enjoyed talking with them about my experience while stationed in their homeland. I have noticed our busboys (or asst. waiters as they're now called) working in other areas of the ship outside of the evening dinner times. These people work very long hours and spend many months away from their families, so if one of them has a bad day or two I don't even consider reducing their tip, but that's a decision each person has to make on their own. Unless we're both sharing the same cabin and eating at the same tables I can't make a judgment on whether the suggested tip (for any other PAX) is too much, too little, or just right for any of the areas of service.

 

Bottom line is, after our first cruise we just take the tipping as a given and don't resent that small reward for all the hard work that is done on our behalf (much of which we never see).

[Tamhugh]

On Carnival, are we allowed to take all of the automatic tips off of the S&S card and tip in cash? On one of our cruises, we talked with our waiter about the changes in tipping. He mentioned that some of the staff didn't like automatic tipping because it sometimes takes a week or two to get the tips that way. I guess they came as part of their weekly/monthly paycheck. We were able to choose on RCI whether to put it on our account or to tip in cash. I have absolutely no problem with the tipping policy, but we were informed up front about what was "expected" and it wasn't a shock to us. We tipped some of the staff more, and tipped additional people (Kids Club staff especially). Only once did we not tip someone. On our first trip, we went as a group of four families. We had asked for two tables somewhere near each other. Instead, we were all seated separately. Our maitre de told us he would arrange for it to be fixed the second night. Second night came and he told us there were no available tables and we would have to stay where we were. Several other people told us he had switched tables for them. We never saw him again until the last night when he stopped by each table, obviously looking for his tip. On subsequent trips, the MDs were wonderful and were tipped well by our group. We have felt it has been worth every penny!

 

Tammy

[CoachTerry14]

As previously mentioned, the amount you hear about is per person per day. If this is your first cruise, you are underestimating the amount of work that your cabin steward does especially when you have children in the room.

 

When you see how hard the cabin staff and the wait staff work, you will realize that the suggested $420 for your family of 6 for a week cruise is a fare amount.

 

I agree with Joe!

[hitman00]

I was wondering about the new "Sail & Sign" tipping. I had considered pre-paid tipping until I heard that they weren't always received until weeks later. Now I understand that the tips are automatically placed on your Sail & Sign card? Is the same thing going to happen? I would just hate for these wonderful people who pamper me like crazy to go without their tips for weeks. Hope someone has some input!

[jcanino]

I was wondering about the new "Sail & Sign" tipping. I had considered pre-paid tipping until I heard that they weren't always received until weeks later. Now I understand that the tips are automatically placed on your Sail & Sign card? Is the same thing going to happen? I would just hate for these wonderful people who pamper me like crazy to go without their tips for weeks. Hope someone has some input!

 

Think about it this way. Even if it take them two weeks to get the tips from this weeks cruise, they will receive the tips from two weeks ago this week.

[ihhk2]

Why on earth would anyone even consider that young teens don't need to show graciousness in tipping their staff? Do they not tip for the kids' meals in restaraunts at home?

 

I've never seen harder working staff than on a ship. Kids make them do double duty. To question that the kids are responsible for tipping is ridiculous... they are receiving service as much as anyone else.

 

Not only that, but what does it teach the kids for adulthood? That they can short staff of their hard-earned wages just because they are young?

[AppleValleyCruisers]

I Dont Understand. If They Are Guidelines They Should Not Be Charged Automatic

 

I am thinking that tipping is not customary in all cultures*, and this method is used to ensure gratuities are extended, at least initially (the option to increase or decrease still exists).

 

*This post is made with no judgement of whether this practice is right or wrong.

[Sgibbs]

My 16 year old son works as a busboy and is paid $3.25 per hour + tips. I will say that it has opened his eyes to how much people are paid. He now gets upset with his friends if they do not tip when they go out. He also has learned why you do not leave a table messy even if it is fast food. My older sons girlfriend is a bartender while in college she also makes most of her money from tips. Most people think nothing of the tip on their drinks but complain about having to tip everyone else.

[tribbs1]

You will all be happy to know that we are back from the Conquest and we left our suggested tip of $420 for our family of 6 stand. Our room steward was okay, not great. He did a fair job of cleaning up the rooms. Our kids slept so late some days he never even had to go in there:mad: . I kept telling them to get up and quit wasting the day - oh well. We did give an extra cash gift to our dining room staff as they were excellent:) . It still would be better if they would just build tipping into the price of the cruise and leave it at that.

[LisaRae]

What's the difference in the pre-paid and reverse gratuity tipping? Please don't post the Carnival link. I read it. What I want to know is why would you pre-pay? Why would you do reverse gratuity? What does each one do for you? We have cruised with Disney, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian and I think they just added our tips at the end, and we could adjust them if we wanted to.

 

Thanks,

LisaRae

[tribbs1]

Basically that is what Carnival does too. Once we checked in we had a $70 pp gratuity added onto our sign and sail card. This was for 7 days. If we had wanted we could of gone to the pursers desk and had these removed in order to pay what we wanted ourselves in person to each employee (room steward, dining room staff, etc.) The Carnival way encompasses others who do for you that you might not notice. Some of these people would probably not be tipped if people tipped themselves and didn't let Carnival do it. Just my guess. I would leave the tip as is and adjust accordingly - either increase, decrease, or leave as you see fit.

[beaming90]

On our Fantasy cruise our cabin steward was in the room several times a day "spiffying" up the room. We left him a couple dollars and a few little snickers bars each morning with a thank you note and he seemed to really appreciate that little tiny bit. And I can't think of a time when he wasn't just outside our door! One time I had to find someone else to get us an evaluation card (we lost ours) and that was the only time during our 4 day cruise that I didn't see our steward. My mom kept not shutting the cabin door all the way and he checked it each time he saw us go in. He was fabulous! I wish he could live at our house...hee hee:D

[CrazyMums]

What's the difference in the pre-paid and reverse gratuity tipping? Please don't post the Carnival link. I read it. What I want to know is why would you pre-pay? Why would you do reverse gratuity? What does each one do for you? We have cruised with Disney, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian and I think they just added our tips at the end, and we could adjust them if we wanted to.

 

If the tips are pre-paid, I don't think you can remove them since they shouldn't show up on your S & S. The $70 per person that Carnival adds to your S & S can be removed, increased or decreased.