B2B and Tips

[flyingv4me]

I'm looking to do a B2B next year, staying in the same cabin. I'll have auto-tips in place and expect to tip more for exceptional service. My question is when do I tip? Do I tip my steward, assistant, and MDR staff at the end of each leg or at the end of the vacation (2 legs)? I figured that my MDR staff will probably change so I'd tip at the end of each leg, but with the same steward and assistant I don't know the expected procedure for their tips.

Thanks for everyone's help!

[alliebrandy]

I'm looking to do a B2B next year, staying in the same cabin. I'll have auto-tips in place and expect to tip more for exceptional service. My question is when do I tip? Do I tip my steward, assistant, and MDR staff at the end of each leg or at the end of the vacation (2 legs)? I figured that my MDR staff will probably change so I'd tip at the end of each leg, but with the same steward and assistant I don't know the expected procedure for their tips.

Thanks for everyone's help!

 

 

We did our first B2B this past December on the Equinox and also stayed in the same cabin. We also had pre-paid our gratuities. As for the MDR staff, DH gave extra at the end of each leg, because we knew we were not going to be seated at the same table or area. For our cabin steward and assistant, I asked if they would be handling our again for the second leg, they said they were so we did have an option of waiting, but then DH decided to just take care of them also at the end of leg. He said he didn't want them to think we were not pleased with their work.

 

Our attendents were wonderful and even said that we could wait til the end of our trip, but DH insisted and I think it was better that way. They really were exceptional with us.

[Northern Aurora]

While we also pre-pay our gratuities, we have always given our stateroom attendant and their assistant an extra tip. When we are in the same stateroom on a B2B we go ahead and give the extra tip a few days before the end of the first leg. I suppose we could ask if they will also be servicing our stateroom for the second leg (ie, aren't going on vacation) but somehow it has just seemed logical to us to go ahead and tip them.

[ghstudio]

There is no disadvantage of tipping at the end of the first cruise..in fact you may get better service on the second cruise. The crew plans on receiving tips at the end of each cruise, even if you will stay on the ship. Don't confuse their financial planning by holding your tip or extra tip to the end of your B2B.

[Denny01]

Since you'll have a different MDR waitstaff, and although the room steward may be the same, the assistants may change since they are under training sometimes, we've tipped at the end of each cruise. That's when your onboard charges are closed.

 

By the way, if you liked your waitstaff on the 1st leg, you can ask the Madre D for the same waiter. We did and loved it.

 

Enjoy. Nothing like just sitting back on that 1st leg and relaxing while most everyone is packing up.

 

Den

[Phxazzcruisers]

When on a B2B we treat each leg as a separate cruise. We have auto tips, but for their exceptional service we tip all parties the last night of each leg.

[kitty9]

You tip separately as you don't know if one of your crew members will leave the ship or get a different assignment for the second cruise.

[Project_gal]

OP, thanks for asking this question. We have our first B2B booked but this one had not [yet] occurred to us. If it had not been posted here, we may have been on board before we realised that we did not know what the norm was.

 

Thanks also Cruise Critic!

 

Sue

[uktog]

We always treat each leg as a separate and give our extra tips at the end of each leg. As others have said, there can be last minute redeployments, you can have end of contract staff looking after you and I always think a mid term pat in the back is good for the staff. I am not looking for anything special or better on the second leg but I like to be able to say, hey, thanks you have done a great job for us already.

 

Also do not forget to mention staff on your end of first cruise feedback form and use any attention to detail cards to pass on praise on the first cruise and you can repeat the message for the second cruise if you wish

[flyingv4me]

Thanks, everyone, for confirming my thoughts. Perfectly logical and appropriate! Thanks, again!

[chamima]

We always treat each leg as a separate and give our extra tips at the end of each leg. As others have said, there can be last minute redeployments, you can have end of contract staff looking after you and I always think a mid term pat in the back is good for the staff. I am not looking for anything special or better on the second leg but I like to be able to say, hey, thanks you have done a great job for us already.

 

Also do not forget to mention staff on your end of first cruise feedback form and use any attention to detail cards to pass on praise on the first cruise and you can repeat the message for the second cruise if you wish

 

 

Did you actually get Attention to Detail cards on our recent Solstice cruise?

I asked for them repeatedly (and from several different people) but never got any. When I went to Guest Relations (twice) they said they didn't currently have any but would deliver them to my cabin.

I did tell everyone I asked that it was to compliment people, not complain, so that wasn't the reason I didn't get them.

[FRMPEI]

With prepaid gratuities what is the general feeling on how much or what is the range of your extra tips say for a 7 day B2B?

 

Regards,

Kevin Reid

[Project_gal]

With prepaid gratuities what is the general feeling on how much or what is the range of your extra tips say for a 7 day B2B?

 

Regards,

Kevin Reid

 

Kevin

 

This has to be a personal judgement. However, to help you, we always look at the amount of prepaid gratuities and ask ourselves, what percentage we should apply to that benchmark.

 

Sue

[uktog]

Did you actually get Attention to Detail cards on our recent Solstice cruise?

I asked for them repeatedly (and from several different people) but never got any. When I went to Guest Relations (twice) they said they didn't currently have any but would deliver them to my cabin.

I did tell everyone I asked that it was to compliment people, not complain, so that wasn't the reason I didn't get them.

 

No we could not, I did not in my review want to go into every piece of detail of what was wrong, but that was another area that disturbed me about the cruise - clearly feedback was not being encouraged (good or bad) so we passed our feedback in through a letter. I saw on another thread you mentioned 4 of the people we highlighted in that letter, Ketuk, Marian, Anita and Rajeev. I hope the letter was treated in the same way as an atd card and the praise was actioned