SINGLE HSC/TIPPING THREAD (Previously "Why are gratuities not included in Fares?")

[JVilleGal]

Plain brewed coffee is no additional charge at brreakfdast, dinner etc. Same for tea. Espresso and cappacino are additional charge. when ordered in the MDR.

 

 

:) I'm guessing you didn't mean to quote me?

 

 

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[Boytjie]

You can also tell them at check-in that you will use cash. I'm not very familiar with this. I think when your account balance hits $250, you will be asked to come to the front desk and pay down the balance or no futher charges will be allowed. You will also be required to come to the front desk and settle your account on the last day.

 

 

I have not used the cash option yet but from what I have seen posted I believe you have to deposit some cash into your account when you board so you will be able to charge purchases to your shipboard account. Once your account approaches zero you will be contacted to deposit more cash before you will be able to continue charging purchases to your account.

 

 

 

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[GradUT]

We also will tip the room steward, five to ten dollars per day.

 

This person is being extremely generous (and that's OK) because the gratuities already cover the tips for the steward. Just didn't want the OP, a newbie to cruising, to think they had to tip the steward.

[take us away]

This person is being extremely generous (and that's OK) because the gratuities already cover the tips for the steward. Just didn't want the OP, a newbie to cruising, to think they had to tip the steward.

 

Nice pick. I usually add a little extra for the room steward especially if he/she has done something extra or special (which they always seem to do!). It is not in the $5-10/day range though.

[jtl513]

Even when we have Open Seating in the MDR, if we get the same stewards often during the cruise (and that does seem to happen frequently) we give them some cash at cruise end. Depending on how well we liked them it may be $2/$3 per day, or it may be more. But to repeat what has been said: this is not required, and I think not expected by the waiters.

[RocketMan275]

This person is being extremely generous (and that's OK) because the gratuities already cover the tips for the steward. Just didn't want the OP, a newbie to cruising, to think they had to tip the steward.

 

I think I made that quite clear when I said: "Tipping is a controversial topic here at CC. Some want do eliminate it completely. Some say the service charge is sufficient and there is no need to tip extra." emphasis added.

Edited December 12, 2016 by RocketMan275

[ithaca gal]

I will be sailing on the K-dam for 9 nights in March and have booked a cabana at the retreat for our entire sail. This is new territory for me, and from what I can tell, the cabana butlers provide attentive service throughout the day, bringing lunch at your request, providing bottled water, sparking wine, fruit, etc. If we puchase drinks, I am aware a service charge will be assessed but am contemplating what might be an appropriate tip to extend at the end of our stay to the butlers. Anyone willing to share what they have done or would do with respect to tipping in this situation?

 

We usually tip our cabana stewards $50 each for the week. We also tip our room stewards roughly three dollars a day and the same for dining stewards. This is if they do anything to make our cruise comfortable.

[Spades88]

See I am Australian and I did a quick comparison of rates between booking through a US website as a US customer and me booking the same fare in Australia. It was $750 USD more expensive to purchase the same cabin in Australia. That works out to be over $1000 AUD (This takes me about 3-4 weeks to earn with my part time job). I'm then expected to pay almost another $750 USD in gratuities. I just want to know if they are charging Australians higher fares, why these aren't covering the gratuities. To be it feels like HAL are double dipping. Which doesn't seem fair. I honestly dont know if I will be able to afford to pay full gratuities. Before I get any negativity I am 28, this is a cruise I am going on with my 70 year old mother who is from a single retired income. I study full time and work part time. I scrimped and saved to go on this cruise as we're visiting sick family and my mum doesn't fly so cruising is the only option.

[RocketMan275]

See I am Australian and I did a quick comparison of rates between booking through a US website as a US customer and me booking the same fare in Australia. It was $750 USD more expensive to purchase the same cabin in Australia. That works out to be over $1000 AUD (This takes me about 3-4 weeks to earn with my part time job). I'm then expected to pay almost another $750 USD in gratuities. I just want to know if they are charging Australians higher fares, why these aren't covering the gratuities. To be it feels like HAL are double dipping. Which doesn't seem fair. I honestly dont know if I will be able to afford to pay full gratuities. Before I get any negativity I am 28, this is a cruise I am going on with my 70 year old mother who is from a single retired income. I study full time and work part time. I scrimped and saved to go on this cruise as we're visiting sick family and my mum doesn't fly so cruising is the only option.

 

I thought gratuities were included in Australia. Are they not?

Edited December 16, 2016 by RocketMan275

[Spades88]

I thought gratuities were included in Australia. Are they not?

 

When I cruised Jan this year they were not, they were automatically added like they had been when I was in the US. Unless things have changed since then?

[RocketMan275]

When I cruised Jan this year they were not, they were automatically added like they had been when I was in the US. Unless things have changed since then?

 

I would suggest you call the agent where you booked and get an explanation from them.

[mplscondodweller]

We reserved a cabana for 27 day Austraila/New Zealand on the Noordam (mid-January) and noone else has reserved any of the other cabanas yet. So I tell HA I'm thinking about cancelling because I don't want to take up a cabana steward's time if it's just us and they have to rely on us for their entire day's tips. HA tells me the staff in the cabanas won't accept tips.....and that they can lose their jobs if they do????? What the @#$%??? He also told me noone on the ship is supposed to accept tips..........Again,......What the #$%)$????? Is this just duplicity on the part of HA???

:confused:

Edited December 19, 2016 by mplscondodweller
clarity

[RuthC]

Is this just duplicity on the part of HA???

Sounds more like someone doesn't have a clue what HAL's policy is. Did you call Seattle to get this answer? That could explain it right there. Seattle isn't known for getting answers right.

[Randyk47]

Sounds more like someone doesn't have a clue what HAL's policy is. Did you call Seattle to get this answer? That could explain it right there. Seattle isn't known for getting answers right.

 

Agree. Even in the days when HAL advertised "no tipping required or expected", or words to that effect, was there any policy I know of that staff were to refuse tips and face dismissal if they did. The only policy I know of today that comes even remotely close to the representative's statement deals with staff accepting and keeping tips given by passsengers who have reduced or removed the Hotel Service Charge. Even then I don't know that the policy is actually automatic dismissal. I suppose that's possible if there is deemed to be deliberate and continued abuse by the offending staff member.

[mplscondodweller]

I agree that this makes no sense! The way I think I'll handle this is to try once, and if refused, try one more time. I'm not a 'huge tipper' but do always tip for good service. Perhaps, if out in the open, to be a bit more discreet, or, if possible, catch them later. Also, I do get that you don't tip every-single-time you receive a service, but at the end of the event, or at intervals, like weekly for a cabin steward on a longer cruise. Does this sound about right?

 

The man I spoke with from HAL (Seattle?) said that we are only allowed to increase the overall tip we all consent to pay. I'm wondering if this is just the company line for purposes of making sure that the behind the scenes people receive recognition for all the work they do for the staff with face time?? This is a good team building practice, I understand!! But still.......

 

Wouldn't it be nice if the person who did the laundry actually was the person who delivered it? But that's probably not so (?) so I can see why HAL likes the lump sum tip.

 

But since we don't really know how tips are taxed or if their pay takes tips into account, I'd rather give cash. It's also what I'm comfortable with and used to!

 

Also, we practice 20% tipping, which is higher than what the cruise line suggests so to add a bit on at the end makes sense to us. :)

[Spades88]

We reserved a cabana for 27 day Austraila/New Zealand on the Noordam (mid-January) and noone else has reserved any of the other cabanas yet. So I tell HA I'm thinking about cancelling because I don't want to take up a cabana steward's time if it's just us and they have to rely on us for their entire day's tips. HA tells me the staff in the cabanas won't accept tips.....and that they can lose their jobs if they do????? What the @#$%??? He also told me noone on the ship is supposed to accept tips..........Again,......What the #$%)$????? Is this just duplicity on the part of HA???

:confused:

 

Sounds like HAL have either changed their policy for Australian Cruises and not told anybody or someone doesn't know what they're talking about?

[Randyk47]

Sounds like HAL have either changed their policy for Australian Cruises and not told anybody or someone doesn't know what they're talking about?

 

A different policy for Australian cruises never crossed my mind. Is there something in the way gratuities are charged or handled for those cruises? Something in consumer law or practice that forces HAL to have a different policy? If true dismissal for accepting tips would seem to imply some serious reason other than tipping custom.

[RuthC]

A different policy for Australian cruises never crossed my mind. Is there something in the way gratuities are charged or handled for those cruises?

There hasn't been a different policy when I've cruised Australian waters. More likely the Seattle representative was flat out wrong; there is precedent galore for that.

One thing he was right about is that a person can increase the amount charged for the HSC, but he was wrong if he said that is the only way to increase tips.

[avian777]

You can only do it with cash. To each restaurant I bring two envelopes. If the service is "standard" they get the smaller amount, and if service is superior they get the larger. The amounts I bring are: Canaletto $5 and $10, Tamarind $10 and $15, PG and Sel de Mer $15 and $20.

 

jtl513, are these amounts per person or per couple? Thanks in advance for your response.

Smooth sailing & Merry Christmas ...

[Stratheden]

There hasn't been a different policy when I've cruised Australian waters. More likely the Seattle representative was flat out wrong; there is precedent galore for that.

One thing he was right about is that a person can increase the amount charged for the HSC, but he was wrong if he said that is the only way to increase tips.

 

We are Australian and cruised in Australian waters earlier this year. There is absolutely no difference to cruising in other parts of the world. The HSC was added to the account.

 

Australians have always paid more for cruising on HAL. There has been a couple of threads about it.

[mplscondodweller]

Avian777 sounds about right to me. Take, for example, a modest dinner at Outback Steakhouse, $6 salad, $5 appetizer or soup, $20 entree $9 dessert = $40 x 2 people = $80. The 15% assumed tip on board comes to $12, (included) while a 20% tip at home is $16, so that leaves a $4 deficit for dinner at, again, a modest restaurant. I like to think we'll eat better dinners in MDR so $5 would just barely cut it. None of this includes beverages which could follow the same formula. Two drinks each at, say, $9 = $36 with a tipping deficit of $1.80. So over the course of a week you could, being modest, pay $45 to wait staff and $13 to beverage staff in the MDR if you assume this type of mediocre meal. More, possibly, in a specialty restaurant. Again, I really think we are getting more more more..........but this seems to be a good starting point if, if, you are typically a 20% tipper.

[Host Walt]

... Even in the days when HAL advertised "no tipping required or expected", or words to that effect, was there any policy I know of that staff were to refuse tips and face dismissal if they did...

The former policy was simply "Tipping not required." Yet on every cruise the CD's disembarkation talk always included guidelines on what the "usual" tip amounts were and even what those little envelopes were to be used for.

Edited December 21, 2016 by Host Walt

[Randyk47]

The former policy was simply "Tipping not required." Yet on every cruise the CD's disembarkation talk always included guidelines on what the "usual" tip amounts were and even what those little envelopes were to be used for.

 

Thanks Walt. I really couldn't remember the exact wording. I do remember when we were cruise newbies, with just a 4-day "try it you'll like it" Carnival cruise under our belts, back in 1994 when our TA made a big deal out of "tipping not required". Rightly or wrongly we came away from that meeting, having booked a cruise in 1995 on the Ryndam, thinking we'd not be tipping. We went to the CD's disembarkation talk and heard the suggested or usual tip recommendations and had an "oh no" moment. Luckily we were able to scramble and put our tips together.

[Jsipes]

Wish you would use no abreviations, ie OBC DD DS etc. Unsure what those stand for

[freestyling]

Wish you would use no abreviations, ie OBC DD DS etc. Unsure what those stand for

 

Probably a thread just on abbreviations somewhere!

OBC=on board credit

DD,DS,DW,DH= Dear daughter,son,wife,husband etc