Pause,----- a tipping?

[boogs]

We always leave the tips on the account but just wondering, what is an average extra amount to tip the cabin attendant every couple of days on the cruise?

 

At the end of the cruise, if we received better than expect service from the stateroom or dining staff, we will give an amount we feel is appropriate. We have tipped individuals anywhere from $20 to $50 extra for a 7 day cruise, and more for longer cruises. We have also just tipped whatever the auto gratuity amount was if the service was just acceptable, not great. We tend to be generous in most cases.

 

We may tip $100 or more total to all the staff who we feel have earned it. Considering the total cost of our cruise, travel expenses, excursion costs, and any additional purchases, that $100+ is very small additional amount, which we can easily cover. If we can afford the cruise, we can afford to be generous. They certainly need it much more than we do.

 

The people who annoy me the most are those who use the excuse that they have to budget so tightly to take their cruise that they can't afford give a few dollars to people who are not as well off as they are. My opinion of that sentiment - total rubbish, fueled entirely by greed.

Edited May 10, 2014 by boogs

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

If they make it a mandatory service charge, it is now income for the corporation and must be reported as such, and possibly taxed. Since it would be income with an equal or greater expense (depending on taxation), it would dilute earnings, however slightly, making corporate stock less valuble. If it is mandatory service charge, it must be included in any advertised prices or the corporation will be charged with deceptive advertising.

 

There are even more reasons, but this is long enough. :D

 

Enjoy

Ron

 

OK, then, I can see this is not going to happen.

 

If they continued to call it gratuities and didn't allow you to remove the charge from your account, would that pass muster?

[ronrythm]

OK, then, I can see this is not going to happen.

 

If they continued to call it gratuities and didn't allow you to remove the charge from your account, would that pass muster?

If they make it mandatory in any form, it would still be income, no matter what they call it. That's why even if you are required to pre-pay gratuities as a lot of lines do with anytime dining, you can always request a refund or have the cost removed.

Enjoy

Ron

[SPacificbound]

Ah, karma!

 

My suggestion would be that you leave the auto tips charged to your account every day. Then decide if you wish to tip over and above to specific people.

 

I agree with another poster, good people are going to give good service and the not-so-good will give that kind of service. It's the luck of the draw. But I think it's mean and cheap to remove the auto tips. That is part of the cost of cruising and I wish Celebrity would just declare it a hotel service charge, make it mandatory, and be done with it.

 

Totally agree. :)

[bar_20]

I agree that they know who has removed the auto tips. Room steward has a list as would your waiter if you are on set dining.

 

How do they know that? If you are talking about the free gratuities offered in the 123 package or some other package then the cruise line makes up for the lost tips. If someone is going to have the tips removed or the amount lowered they will do it on the last sea day not on the first. There is no way the cruise line is going to tell a waiter or room steward certain passengers are not paying for their tips.

[miched]

How do they know that? If you are talking about the free gratuities offered in the 123 package or some other package then the cruise line makes up for the lost tips. If someone is going to have the tips removed or the amount lowered they will do it on the last sea day not on the first. There is no way the cruise line is going to tell a waiter or room steward certain passengers are not paying for their tips.

 

 

There is a cut off date to remove the gratuities and it is 2 or 3 days before the end. I am sure that the employees need a list to keep track of their earnings plus there have been other threads where the posters have seen the lists on the service cart of the cabin attendant.

 

 

Managers like to make their employees happy. I worked as a dealer in a casino. There was a person that played at my table all day and was a regular. He left with a very large pay off. The pit boss asked me how much of a toke I got. I said nothing. He said I will handle it and went into the guys account and wiped out all the credits for comps he had given him.

 

🐳🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

[A Sixth?]

We tipped about $25 to the martini bar staff this week, didn't matter who we gave extra to, it all went in the shared tip box for that group. No idea how other bars work but we saw all martini bar tips going into the same box.

 

Exactly. Extra tips stay with the server or servers sharing in a pool.

 

It does not go into the general tip fund run by Celebrity.

[TeaBag]

We give more about 2 or 3 days before the end of the trip. We always give both room stewards the same amount because we think the poor guy who does the bathrooms has one of the worst jobs on the ship. The smiles and handshakes and yes, even kisses on both cheeks are worth much more than we give. These people are so grateful for anything they get. I can't imagine stiffing them.

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

If they make it mandatory in any form, it would still be income, no matter what they call it. That's why even if you are required to pre-pay gratuities as a lot of lines do with anytime dining, you can always request a refund or have the cost removed.

Enjoy

Ron

 

Thanks for the answer. Strikes me as weird. Allegedly the gratuities are going directly to the crew. How does this become income to Celebrity???

[spookwife]

doesn't matter how or when you pay,. the serve will be the same. giving a tip up front can be seen as a bribe..and insulting to the person

 

those that deserve it( by your standards) get extra when you feel it is warranted.

[Christine Frances]

How do they know that? If you are talking about the free gratuities offered in the 123 package or some other package then the cruise line makes up for the lost tips. If someone is going to have the tips removed or the amount lowered they will do it on the last sea day not on the first. There is no way the cruise line is going to tell a waiter or room steward certain passengers are not paying for their tips.

 

Whether the tips are removed at the beginning, middle or end of the cruise the managers query the staff involved to find out what the service issue was that caused the customer to withdraw their gratuities. It is almost a black mark for the staff. A few years ago someone posted they saw a list on a wall in the kitchen while on a galley tour and someone else reported that they saw a list clipped to a room stewards cart. The staff know!