Please help with tipping etiquette

[BekkaW]

We'll be cruising with grandkids for the first time, and I've been assuming that we'll be paying the daily gratuity for each of them also. However, I recently read a post (on another cruise forum) that suggested that children don't count when computing tips. That doesn't seem likely. Can anyone clear that up for me?

 

They definitely count, it's per person with no reference to the age of the person

[goodycruising]

I think it was a good idea to come here and ask. I don't know why people make these suggestions to remove gratuities and have the staff everywhere looking at you sideways to try to judge wether you will end up stiffing them or not. I would recommend leaving the prepaid tips on and just relax from there.

 

The service people get a sheet with the details of who is prepaid and who isn't. We asked quite a bit about it in the early cruising days. Just because we were curious and wanted to do the right amount. One of the staff in the MDR said they could not understand that Aussies would buy heaps of expensive alcohol, but then try to say they couldn't afford the tip as they didn't earn much. I think they understood if people might have been a bit on the lean side earnings wise, but if you flash around your spending and then stiff the staff they get a very sour taste.

 

Then I would make sure I never talk about tips to any friends or relatives from Australia or New Zealand, as we have found it can get quite strained. Just not worth going there. Treat it like asking about how much someone earns and spends in minute detail. It seems to get as personal as that sometimes.

 

It is only second to the balcony v's inside cabin discussions. If I want to spend on a balcony then please don't tell me a balcony is a waste of money. That is not your business how I want to spend money, and I don't put down anyone that is happy in their inside cabin.

[FirstTeacher]

They definitely count, it's per person with no reference to the age of the person

 

Thanks! That's what I had always assumed.

[LMaxwell]

We'll be cruising with grandkids for the first time, and I've been assuming that we'll be paying the daily gratuity for each of them also. However, I recently read a post (on another cruise forum) that suggested that children don't count when computing tips. That doesn't seem likely. Can anyone clear that up for me?

 

Different cruise lines have different policies regarding age, but on Royal it's all the same gratuity regardless of age.

[Life is Good Cruising]

Unless someone has OBC to use for their gratuities, I also don't understand why people make suggestions to remove gratuities.

[alfaeric]

Sir Cruise-a-Lot

 

How does the math work out?

 

If 20 years ago, you paid $150/night, and now you pay $138/night+12/night for tips, would you stop cruising?

 

Seems like people are willing to stop cruising because of tips even though the overall cost of cruing, including the pre-paid tips, has stayed numerically equal (not adjusted for inflation) or has gone down.

 

When you get off the ship, your bank account is lowered by a less amount, so why does it matter what you are tipping?