Tipping Question

[cessnabmw]

First timer on cruise.

 

Been reading a lot about the tips and how many prefer to just pay cash to those who deserve rather than use auto tip.

 

Some say it's better to cancel auto tip the day before the end and some do it as they embark. If we were to opt of auto and just pay the crew themselves, when should we opt out, before or after?

[iheartbda]

May I ask why you would want to remove the auto gratuities and pay in cash?

[CruiserBruce]

The smell of popcorn is wafting thru the Internet...

Edited September 7, 2014 by CruiserBruce

[bbwex]

One thing that the auto pay does is share the funds among many of the people you might not include. You can cancel it anytime, and do whichever you wish. In our own case, I do the auto pay as I regard that as something of a minimum tipping amount, and then the care and attention I received was more than average from one or more of the personnel, I will give them a separate cash envelope and my personal thanks for the extra care that they gave me/us.

[dancinman66]

If you are going to opt out do it straight away

Maybe give an initial tip to steward and waiter but doing at the end is a hassle for guest services and tends to almost suggest a wrong doing to waiters and steward

I now says leave the auto tipping on

It is fairer and just pay who I need to later and extra to those with exceptional service

 

 

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[Illyria]

Some say it's better to cancel auto tip the day before the end and some do it as they embark. If we were to opt of auto and just pay the crew themselves, when should we opt out, before or after?

And most say to leave the auto-tips alone...which is what you should really do.

[Life is Good Cruising]

We would never think of removing auto tips. If there are any issues, we will address it immediately. And we also give additional tips to those that have wowed us!

[GUT2407]

I really wish I could find a thread on tipping!

 

:cool:

[Jacs]

What I've come to learn through these board is that the Auto tipping also gets distributed amongst all the back of house people that you don't have direct contact with, so the people in the laundry, the cooks, cleaning personnel etc. When you remove the auto tips and pay just your waiter and room steward, they have to turn this money in and it still gets distributed amongst everyone. So what you end up doing is actually giving your steward and waiter less than they would have gor if you had left the auto tips in place.

 

The best thing to do if you want to make sure these people get the extra recognition you want them to have is to give them an extra cash tip on top of the auto (they get to keep the whole amount if you do this), and write a great review for them at the end of the cruise.

[cb at sea]

Just pay the suggested tip amount in the manner that the cruise line feels works best. There is not real need to tip additionally....and you certainly should not tip less!!!

 

The tips on all but Princess go to: cabin attendant, waiter, ass't waiter and head waiter. Whether those folks "share" tips isn't my business.

 

 

Sort of like in land-based restaurants....your waiter shares their tips with the busboy and host/hostess....but that's how it works!

[Treven]

I agree, leave the auto-tip in place. You will not be able to tip, in cash, all the people on board that work hard to ensure you have a pleasant cruise.

[boogs]

First timer on cruise.

 

Been reading a lot about the tips and how many prefer to just pay cash to those who deserve rather than use auto tip.

 

Some say it's better to cancel auto tip the day before the end and some do it as they embark. If we were to opt of auto and just pay the crew themselves, when should we opt out, before or after?

 

Not sure where you get that "many prefer to just pay cash". Based on reading years of threads on this topic, I can say with certainty that the vast majority of people leave the auto tips in place, and some even prefer to pre-pay them at time of final payment (myself included). These people understand how the system works and don't insist on doing it their way. Only a very few insist on paying in cash, and many of those for the wrong reasons (if what they write can be believed).

Edited September 7, 2014 by boogs

[cessnabmw]

Thank you all! Will just leave it as is then based on all the feedback.

[Dayenu]

First timer on cruise.

 

Been reading a lot about the tips and how many prefer to just pay cash to those who deserve rather than use auto tip.

 

Some say it's better to cancel auto tip the day before the end and some do it as they embark. If we were to opt of auto and just pay the crew themselves, when should we opt out, before or after?

 

Doesn't matter who gets the cash, they all must turn the money in to be divided between all "behind the scenes" employees who cook, do the dishes, do the laundry, etc... If you want to tip somebody personally, leave the tips, and tip additional. They are allowed to keep only what is above "suggested".

[blindrid]

May I ask why you would want to remove the auto gratuities and pay in cash?

 

Ditto. Why make something simple, hard?

 

IMHO, only the uneducated cruiser would do so. Or, the tighta@@

[iheartbda]

Just pay the suggested tip amount in the manner that the cruise line feels works best. There is not real need to tip additionally....and you certainly should not tip less!!!

 

The tips on all but Princess go to: cabin attendant, waiter, ass't waiter and head waiter. Whether those folks "share" tips isn't my business.

 

Anyone know what this means?:confused:

[ontheweb]

If you really want to help out those who have done extra for you, leave the autotip on and give them a positive write up as someone who made your cruise extra special. Promotions are based on those positive feedbacks.

[luddite]

First timer on cruise.

 

Been reading a lot about the tips and how many prefer to just pay cash to those who deserve rather than use auto tip.

 

Some say it's better to cancel auto tip the day before the end and some do it as they embark. If we were to opt of auto and just pay the crew themselves, when should we opt out, before or after?

 

Announce it when you walk onto the ship and again when you walk down the passageways. It is only fair to let them know ahead of time.

Edited September 7, 2014 by luddite

[ronandannette]

Not sure where you get that "many prefer to just pay cash". Based on reading years of threads on this topic, I can say with certainty that the vast majority of people leave the auto tips in place, and some even prefer to pre-pay them at time of final payment (myself included). These people understand how the system works and don't insist on doing it their way. Only a very few insist on paying in cash, and many of those for the wrong reasons (if what they write can be believed).

 

Not to mention that with the widespread advent of My Time/Your Time/Anytime Dining now most cruise lines require that gratituties be pre-paid if you're having these dining arrangements. You will NOT be allowed to remove them at Guest Services under these circumstances unless you're prepared to justify why.

 

Announce it when you walk onto the ship and again when you walk down the passageways. It is only fair to let them know ahead of time.

 

LOL - and apparently they WILL know...remember the infamous CC thread showing a picture of the "Cabins that Cancelled Auto-Grats" list...

[Lionesss]

The ease of auto tips and also paying before you cruise to us is a rellief that we do not have yet another cost added on our sea pass bill.

 

We dont have to worry and everyone is happy (we hope).

 

When someone does excel, we do tip additionally and get envelopes from the Conciernage lounge.

 

Sea Ya

[Nebr.cruiser]

I love having the gratuities taken out automatically--so much easier than fiddling around with envelopes and more fair besides.

 

There is no need to tip extra unless you want to; usually we do tip our room steward extra at the end of the cruise, unless they are really sub-par. We seldom tip waiters extra because we use Anytime dining and don't usually have the same ones.

[celebrity]

Not to mention that with the widespread advent of My Time/Your Time/Anytime Dining now most cruise lines require that gratituties be pre-paid if you're having these dining arrangements. You will NOT be allowed to remove them at Guest Services under these circumstances unless you're prepared to justify why.

 

 

 

LOL - and apparently they WILL know...remember the infamous CC thread showing a picture of the "Cabins that Cancelled Auto-Grats" list...

 

Holy cow! How did I miss that thread. Are you saying the staff know who xlld auto grats?

I love the auto grats as it's so much easier. I also tip extra in cash on the last nite.

[Krazy Kruizers]

We prefer to leave the Hotel Service Charge (as it is called on HAL) in place.

Then we tip extra to those who have made our cruise an enjoyable one. Meaning we don't tip everyone in sight. Some people will tell you to tip the dining room manager. Rarely in the last 3 or 4 years have we even seen the dining room manager thus we don't tip them.

[pris993]

If you would like the "best of both worlds", do as we do, leave the auto tip on and then tip extra in cash to those who you feel treated you very well.

 

We also tip extra at the time of service to folks in the buffet who get us something special we requested, or to a bar server who get us ice water, those bringing room service to our cabin.

 

Our cabin steward and dining staff usually get a little extra in cash at the end of the trip, which they can keep, since we have left the auto tip on. If we had removed it they would have to turn in the tipped cash. This would defeat the purpose of our cash tips

[Sue Do-Over]

In May on Carnival Glory, we saw the room steward's list on her cart. It showed which tips had been removed (2 cabins in that section).

 

Personally, I don't want MY room skimped on all week because the steward figured she'd get shorted at the end.

 

While I can't believe that she'd do anything to punish me (use my toothbrush for something else) I also can't believe that she'd go out of her way to make us cute towel animals, either.

 

I agree with most -- leave the auto-tip in place, and supplement where/when you get great or special service.