Tipping?

[BIG_Steve]

Tips will be put on our bill everyday. MSC website says that tipping cash is discouraged. If you want to give your steward or MDR waiter something extra at the end, is it a problem? (I can't imagine it would be.) What about room service? I've always tipped them on other lines.

Edited January 27, 2016 by BIG_Steve

[mikesteg]

We've never had an issue with tipping on MSC cruises out of Florida. Same as other lines. I believe in general that tipping for every little service is less common in Europe, so maybe additional gratuities are less common on Med cruises?

[Skier52]

Tips will be put on our bill everyday. MSC website says that tipping cash is discouraged. If you want to give your steward or MDR waiter something extra at the end, is it a problem? (I can't imagine it would be.) What about room service? I've always tipped them on other lines.

 

The official line is that they discourage tipping individuals . They daily service charge is designed to reward all staff not just the staff that are in direct contact with guests.

 

from the MSC "useful information"

 

During your cruise, you will meet staff throughout the ship who provide you with excellent service. They are supported by just as many staff and crew who work hard behind the scenes to ensure you enjoy every moment onboard. For your convenience MSC Cruises will automatically add a daily Hotel Service Charge to your shipboard account, based on your chosen itinerary and the number of days for which the services are actually provided.

The Hotel Service charge serves to ensure we maintain the highest quality standards of service to our guests. The daily amounts below have been calculated with this in mind and cannot be modified. However, should you wish to remove any of the daily Hotel Service Charge in the unlikely event that you do not receive satisfactory service, you may do so by contacting the Guest Relations Manager on board. If you wish, the daily Service Charge for your cruise can be added to the price of your cruise at the time of booking, rather than added to your onboard account during the cruise. Please let your booking agent know if you would like to add the Service Charge to your cruise price.

 

Tips

MSC Cruises does not recommend tipping individual members of staff.

 

there is a widely held view that any member of staff who receives "tips" has to add them to the pool and that failing to do so is a sackable offence.

 

If you do want to give "extra" to an individual it should be done discreetly and in a fashion that can not be observed by another member of staff.

 

Pete

[parallax]

As we have done on other cruise lines, we give extra cash tips for those who provide good services.

[BIG_Steve]

Okay, that's about what I figured.

[RoLoHa]

I like the MSC way...Instead of telling me how much extra is recommended or providing envelopes for my convenience I was not made to feel that I should do anything. the steward and dining staff did not expect tips and did not have the gratuitous behaviors I often dislike on other lines. The service was just as good as good in my opinion, and those I chose to give a little extra to seemed very appreciative of anything I gave them. I think tipping is personal and should always be discreet.

Edited January 28, 2016 by RoLoHa

[riclop]

MSC discourages it but we still give extra if we get outstanding service.

[plucasana]

Maybe I misunderstand the wording but as far as I understand it, they discourage the removing of the auto-tip and (the pretending to) give everyone individually. But as far as giving on top of the auto-tip, I would not think that they would discourage that, why should they !?

 

We will be on our first cruise in about 6 weeks and will try to follow Pete's advice (giving discretely).

 

I would never ever remove the auto-tip! ymmv

[Gig103]

As plucasana said, they mean they discourage cash in lieu of the daily charge, because the daily charge goes to more people than just the waiter and cabin steward you saw.

 

I can say the bar waiters and waitresses I loved had no qualms taking some extra currency at the end!