Extra tip for excellent service

[Ellaleah]

How much do you leave at the end of your 7 day cruise for your cabin steward and wait staff? Per person?

[ready2cruzagain]

How much do you leave at the end of your 7 day cruise for your cabin steward and wait staff? Per person?

I leave the auto tip of $11.50 pp per day. I discussed this in an earlier thread and to me that is a fair tip. This is what I stated on the earlier thread:

 

I asked on our last three cruises on Carnival this past Dec. and was told by three different stewards that they now have 27 rooms each to take care of.

 

So if they get $3.70pp per cabin and there are two people in a cabin, that is $199.80 per day or $5994 per month. $3.70 x 27 cabins x 2 people in each cabin = $199.80 per day or $199.80 x 30 days = $5994. The steward then has to give a portion to his/her assistant.

 

Honestly, if the steward gives half to his/her assistant they would each get $2997 per 30 days which is good money IMHO and way more than what people make cleaning rooms in the US at most motels or hotels.

 

I really see no reason for extra tipping a steward for doing their job. I do tip extra if they go above and beyond but rarely do I see that.

Edited September 15, 2014 by ready2cruzagain

[bar1068]

Define "Excellent Service"?

[springs741]

We always leave the auto tips in place. We do not tip the MDR staff additional as we do YTD and on a seven day cruise may eat in the MDR 2 or 3times. This includes breakfast and lunch. We do the steakhouse and tip extra there and tip bartenders a $1 or $2 per drink.

 

As to our room steward, we do tip extra and it is dependent upon what we requested or what was done without being asked. The trip that we had the granddaughter (18 months) we left him an extra $75 as the cabin needed vacuuming daily and he had to deal with dirty diapers (I did wrap them well). When it is just hubby and I we are low maintenance as in we cleanup after ourselves, pick up towels, all clothes are put away so we leave about $40 or $50.

I have often wondered if we are over or under tipping and will be watch this thread for guidance.

[riffatsea]

We do not always tip beyond the autotips.

It depends on how we feel about the room steward or wait staff.

Last time we gave the room steward $20 on the 2nd or 3rd day because we thought she was terrific!

We don't always wait until the last minute to show our appreciation.

We also do Anytime Dining but we always go to the same table each night in the MDR if we like the wait staff. That way they get to know us and service is better(IMO)

I believe we gave the lead waiter $20 also extra last time. It is up to you to decide if you think the auto tips are sufficient.

[ryansmith18]

How much do you leave at the end of your 7 day cruise for your cabin steward and wait staff? Per person?

 

Typically I don't tip any extra than the standard pre-pay amount, but we're quite low maintenance cruisers to begin with. If I had been asking my steward for miscellaneous things each day that are atypical of what he/she normally has to do then I'd consider leaving $20 or so.

[ryansmith18]

I leave the auto tip of $11.50 pp per day. I discussed this in an earlier thread and to me that is a fair tip. This is what I stated on the earlier thread:

 

I asked on our last three cruises on Carnival this past Dec. and was told by three different stewards that they now have 27 rooms each to take care of.

 

So if they get $3.70pp per cabin and there are two people in a cabin, that is $199.80 per day or $5994 per month. $3.70 x 27 cabins x 2 people in each cabin = $199.80 per day or $199.80 x 30 days = $5994. The steward then has to give a portion to his/her assistant.

 

Honestly, if the steward gives half to his/her assistant they would each get $2997 per 30 days which is good money IMHO and way more than what people make cleaning rooms in the US at most motels or hotels.

 

I really see no reason for extra tipping a steward for doing their job. I do tip extra if they go above and beyond but rarely do I see that.

 

 

Ugh, I'm in the wrong business.

[ncovert]

We don't always wait until the last minute to show our appreciation.

 

This is an excellent point. If one feels inclined to tip extra, no need to wait until the end or last day. We will do it staggered through out the week starting with embarkation.

 

As to the OP's question about amount... I would say that is your personal decision, what you feel appropriate. Carnival (and other cruise lines) give you a recommended amount per day. If you have ever seen the movie "My Blue Heaven" with Steve Martin he says it all "I don't believe in tipping, I believe in over tipping". My fixed dollar amount and my situations for tipping "extra" are my choice only and like the other threads on this topic I would say really give what you are comfortable with.

[YB Nrml]

We leave auto tips in place, once or twice we have given the room steward and extra $20, no extra for wait staff. We are VERY low maintenance, don't eat in the dining room every night and never have special requests. We also leave our cabin picked up and orderly. Do what feels right for you. Our very first cruise we never met or saw the Matre' D until the last night. He then came around to every table with his had out (presumably to shake it but really hoping for that white envelope with extra $$). It really left a bad taste in our mouths!

Edited September 15, 2014 by YB Nrml

[u2harmony]

We leave the auto tips in place, and upon first meeting, we give the cabin steward a $20 and then on the last night, we give another $20 or more, depending....usually an extra $40 to $50 for cabin steward, but that's the only one we do the additional for.

[averysmama]

We have auto tips in place for the three of us. We always tip a little extra if the staff is good. Typically we leave the head stewart $20-40 for our room. I've never had a bad one… they always talk to you in the hallways, they've left extra towel animals for our daughter, etc. We also tip our waite staff in the MDR. We eat there almost every night. We love to interact with them and usually we leave them $10-20 each.

[bradm77]

WE have the auto tips which we dont mess with. When we do the Cheers program, we generally do an extra $1 to $2 per drink. Steward rarely is tipped above auto tips, and dining room staff ranges from auto tips only to the $50 we gave our waiter Albert on our most recent cruise on Victory. In all fairness, though - he was the best so far out of 11 cruises!

[Vitamin_Sea]

auto tips plus $20 for steward

[Pine Bluff]

How much do you leave at the end of your 7 day cruise for your cabin steward and wait staff? Per person?

 

We tip no more than the recommendation to the steward and dining room staff, and only in cash.

[firemanbobswife]

Prepaid Gratuities plus $20 for Room Steward and $20 Head Waiter $10 Assistant Waiters if we receive good service from them. I am about as low maintenance as they come and feel that they truly deserve every penny they get. Keep in mind while it may seem like they are making bank, that is IF and ONLY if everyone pays the recommended amount. And we all know there are plenty of people that don't pay anything. Besides they work at least a 12 hour day everyday with no day off for months at a time. They deserve their normal pay and then more IMHO.

[Lovefuninthesun]

Autotips Plus:

+ $5 when we make the request that the minibar be emptied, and that we have bucket/ice and wine glasses each day

+ $20 at the end of the cruise when above has been done (and it always is; they are very accomodating! :) )

+ $2 - $3 for room service

+ $1 extra on drinks if we have "bonded" with the bartender/bar server

+ $20 for head waiter, $10 for assistant waiters for personalized service. example: the best waiter have remembered exactly what we like on the first night (e.g., wine with meal, coffee after) and have anticipated on following nights.

[092306]

We leave $20-25 for head waiter and steward and $10-15 for assistant when we feel the auto tips aren't enough. Tipped the bar waiter in the MDR $20 at the end of our cruise. Gave us the best, most personalized service and it was well deserved.

[goduckies05]

We leave the auto tips in place, and upon first meeting, we give the cabin steward a $20 and then on the last night, we give another $20 or more, depending....usually an extra $40 to $50 for cabin steward, but that's the only one we do the additional for.

 

That is what I do as well

 

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[browneyedgirlnb]

Autotips Plus:

+ $5 when we make the request that the minibar be emptied, and that we have bucket/ice and wine glasses each day

+ $20 at the end of the cruise when above has been done (and it always is; they are very accomodating! :) )

+ $2 - $3 for room service

+ $1 extra on drinks if we have "bonded" with the bartender/bar server

+ $20 for head waiter, $10 for assistant waiters for personalized service. example: the best waiter have remembered exactly what we like on the first night (e.g., wine with meal, coffee after) and have anticipated on following nights.

Ditto all of the above. (Thanks for saving me swyping.)

 

 

 

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[T. Advisor King]

Define "Excellent Service"?

 

That question makes a good point. I prefer to refer to "Exceptional service" because it is more clear that it means rare or unusual, rather than "meeting the cruise line's expectation for high quality".

 

From that standpoint, while the service has always been very good, I have never received "exceptional" service from a cabin steward and have never paid a tip to a cabin steward, other than the standard auto-tips. We are very low maintenance, and frankly I wouldn't really care if the steward came by every second day, or maybe only once in the middle of a week-long cruise. I don't need anyone to make my bed daily or vacuum my carpet daily or wash my bathroom mirror daily at home, so I don't really need it just because I'm on a cruise ship. I actually find it hard to picture what a steward might do that I would consider "exceptional", but maybe I'll see it one day. Really, in my mind, it would have to be something that goes well beyond the expectations for the job.

 

We have extra-tipped the head waiter twice. On our most recent cruise the head waiter was very friendly, without seeming to be overbearing about it or fishing for tips. He did mention how he was getting married to another crew member soon, although I suspect he might be getting married "soon" every week. My wife liked the story and I think we may have given him $40 or $50, which seemed like an enormous tip to me. We actually gave it to his fiancee, with a note.

[T. Advisor King]

Define "Excellent Service"?

 

Define "Excellent Service"?

 

That question makes a good point. I prefer to refer to "Exceptional service" because it is more clear that it means rare or unusual, rather than "meeting the cruise line's expectation for high quality".

 

From that standpoint, while the service has always been very good, I have never received "exceptional" service from a cabin steward and have never paid a tip to a cabin steward, other than the standard auto-tips. We are very low maintenance, and frankly I wouldn't really care if the steward came by every second day, or maybe only once in the middle of a week-long cruise. I don't need anyone to make my bed daily or vacuum my carpet daily or wash my bathroom mirror daily at home, so I don't really need it just because I'm on a cruise ship. I actually find it hard to picture what a steward might do that I would consider "exceptional", but maybe I'll see it one day. Really, in my mind, it would have to be something that goes well beyond the expectations for the job.

 

We have extra-tipped the head waiter twice. On our most recent cruise the head waiter was very friendly, without seeming to be overbearing about it or fishing for tips. He did mention how he was getting married to another crew member soon, although I suspect he might be getting married "soon" every week. My wife liked the story and I think we may have given him $40 or $50, which seemed like an enormous tip to me. We actually gave it to his fiancee, with a note.