Tipping...

[grapau27]

I dont prepay tips, I could hide behind that the cruise line dont pass it on, however that is not the main reason i dont prepay, i like to tip for good service to the person directly or not , I know a lot of people struggle with this but thats my process, ive never known anyone not accept a tip

At least you are doing the honourable thing and tipping because sometimes people don't or very little when they stop the autogratuities.

[Wadecool]

We will be going on our first ever cruise June 10-17 so I don't have any specific cruise ship knowledge to go on but gratuities to folks such as cleaning staff, porters, bartenders, etc is pretty universal as far as I'm concerned. We do have prepaid gratuities attached to our UBP's and apparently the tips to the rest of the staff are prepaid as well. I may not tip as much as I would without the prepaid gratuities but I leave something. I do that because I paid my way through college mostly by living on tips and so I have a special place in my heart for the service industry. I should add that I'm not looking down at those who don't share my motivations in any way.

 

I've read countless threads on bar tipping with UBP and I'll just give an analogy in the form of a story that explains my motivations. In college, we would go to these bars in Panama City Beach and Daytona that would have 25 cent drinks (early 1990's) and it would be packed inside and 4 deep at the bar. My first round I'd tip $10, next round $6-8, next round 2$, and subsequent rounds $1. I did this back then not out of the kindness of my heart but because I knew that when I went for my future rounds, the bartender would part the Red Sea to get my order as soon as we made eye contact.

 

 

Relating that to UBP...

DW and I plan on taking great advantage of the the UBP (my goal is to follow in TheDougOut's footsteps but I doubt I'll be able to hang with that dude) and when I want to get two drinks at once for myself and DW, want to get my large Yeti tumbler filled with a top shelf margarita, or when there's a packed poolside bar I'll know that the Red Sea will part and I won't be waiting for my drinks.

[Paulette3028]

I agree. The service on board is usually exceptionable. We prepay and add an additional

$10./day for waiter, $7.50/day Asst. Waiter, $10.00 Stateroom attendant and $50.00 to our Windjammer Buffet waiter.

 

The service is well worth it.

And for regular Cruisers like us the word gets around when you're a good Tipper and each Cruise service gets better

 

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I can't understand your logic that because you are 'regular cruisers.....the word gets around when you're a good Tipper and each Cruise service gets better'. There are thousands upon thousands of wait/bar/housekeeping staff to believe that YOUR service will get better because of your past cruise history is unrealistic. In our 23 cruises ALL on Royal we have come upon several from prior cruises, but that is a rarity.

[haply]

We do prepaid gratuities and will adjust if poor service. We also however "tip-as-we-go", for much better service. We usually give $ 5 per day for our steward (usually guarantees towel animals, extra towels, etc), $ 1 per drink to the bar tender (they do remember who tips), $ 1-2 buffet, $ 2-5 dining room meal/seating. For both cruises and AI's the service usually is much better when we tip. It just makes our vacation that much easier and enjoyable.

[Paulette3028]

We do prepaid gratuities and will adjust if poor service. We also however "tip-as-we-go", for much better service. We usually give $ 5 per day for our steward (usually guarantees towel animals, extra towels, etc), $ 1 per drink to the bar tender (they do remember who tips), $ 1-2 buffet, $ 2-5 dining room meal/seating. For both cruises and AI's the service usually is much better when we tip. It just makes our vacation that much easier and enjoyable.

 

Yes, bartenders do remember who tips on a cruise. So if you cruise on day 1 with some cash, they will take your orders subsequent days on that sailing expecting another tip -- since you have set the bar for that. That is fine.

 

We are Diamond on Royal and have always gotten good service whether we individually tipped or not. We are not big drinkers, let me say that, so the occasions for additional bar tipping are less. I can't say what gets us good service....but I always believe that being nice and polite with a smile never hurts either.

[Retired1064]

I also prepay. If the stateroom attendant goes the extra mile I give him a couple of dollars a day extra.

Same with dining room. Service has been paid for but if they look after me I will tip them a little extra.

 

Pete.

 

We started doing this on our last two cruises, 10-16, and 03-17, and plan on it this week on RCI out of Seattle. Seems like our steward went way above after that first night of getting a extra 5 bucks a day as the cruise went on and we were more than happy to give that. For not even the price of a beer!

[Retired1064]

 

 

It is absolutely a reasonable question. Tipping is a personal matter, but if no one ever mentions $, it is hard to discern amounts.

 

 

I can tell you what we do. Our gratuities have already been pre-paid. We don't eat in the main dining room, but we just leave the tips in place.

 

 

On the last few cruises we have tipped the room steward an additional $0 to $20 on a 7 night cruise, depending on the level of service we received. If we have to ask for things, are they delivered promptly? Is the stateroom made up in a timely manner? That sort of thing. Sometimes we leave nothing for marginal service or $10. Any additional tip that you provide to a crewmember is money that they would not have ordinarily received so there is no right or wrong amount.

 

 

We also provide additional tips to our favorite bartenders, and add a bit more to specialty dining meals. Again, that is just what we do. :)

 

Couldn't agree you more! We usually tip our room/waiter/favorite bar staff as we go from day one and have had the best times ever. $5 per day for room, $3 per meal. $1 to $2 per round. Wish we could do more but the workers seem very appreciative of anything extra. We average 3 cruises a year and if they see you are a tipper ( no matter how much) from the first day they put in a little extra for you. Just my two cents worth

[bUU]

There are thousands upon thousands of wait/bar/housekeeping staff to believe that YOUR service will get better because of your past cruise history is unrealistic.

A lot of cruising for a lot of people is mystique. People want to feel that the seemingly heart-felt care and concern for them as passengers is as real as it appears. Acknowledging that customer-facing employees are not only selected on the basis of how good of a "show" they put on (Disney Cruise Line even calls their crew members "cast members"), but are rewarded to a great extent on how well they sell the seemingly genuine concern they portray, would burst that balloon.

[Ocean Boy]

A lot of cruising for a lot of people is mystique. People want to feel that the seemingly heart-felt care and concern for them as passengers is as real as it appears. Acknowledging that customer-facing employees are not only selected on the basis of how good of a "show" they put on (Disney Cruise Line even calls their crew members "cast members"), but are rewarded to a great extent on how well they sell the seemingly genuine concern they portray, would burst that balloon.

I think that speaks volumes for how well the cruise lines actually carry out their mission. They want you to feel like you are coming home when you step aboard the ship and that you are the most important person who will walk across the gangway today. And to a large extent they are quite successful in achieving their goal. In reality we are all a group of C&A numbers that, most importantly, own credit cards.

[grapau27]

A lot of cruising for a lot of people is mystique. People want to feel that the seemingly heart-felt care and concern for them as passengers is as real as it appears. Acknowledging that customer-facing employees are not only selected on the basis of how good of a "show" they put on (Disney Cruise Line even calls their crew members "cast members"), but are rewarded to a great extent on how well they sell the seemingly genuine concern they portray, would burst that balloon.

Your comments are correct IMO.

[Markanddonna]

Let's go back 20 years in the world of cruising when you gave a trip to the waiter and your cabin attendant, plus a few others...

 

Cruise Lines: "We are going to do away with the envelope system of individually giving tips as you have always done. Now, the tips will be renamed and will be paid automatically, but you will still want to continue the tipping system in order to give above and beyond, because let's face it: you will feel guilty if you don't."

 

Let's project that thinking to tipping at the local restaurant. "An automatic tip will be added to your bill to be shared by most of the staff (servers, bussers, dishwasher, chefs, etc.) Please feel free to tip extra to your server and the greeter." Same thing.

 

For those folks who are easy to care for, I don't see a reason to tip above the automatic gratuity. If you are special needs, are rather demanding with higher expectations, that may be different.

[Paulette3028]

A lot of cruising for a lot of people is mystique. People want to feel that the seemingly heart-felt care and concern for them as passengers is as real as it appears. Acknowledging that customer-facing employees are not only selected on the basis of how good of a "show" they put on (Disney Cruise Line even calls their crew members "cast members"), but are rewarded to a great extent on how well they sell the seemingly genuine concern they portray, would burst that balloon.

 

Cruising for many brings with it a certain mystique, I will agree. I am not sure if it is created from their imagination or the old 'Love Boat' TV show....but it certainly is there. I can't say in the 20+ cruises we have been on, we have not felt special on a cruise. Yes, the industry does want crew members who can make a person feel special without necessarily adding too much to their already full work day. I know that on our first few cruises, cabin stewards had fewer cabins to take care of....I can easily see, more tables are assigned to each wait staff team. But I can also say that my wait staff and cabin stewards have almost without exception been wonderful. Is it because I smile at them, without waiting for them to speak with me....my smile sends a message to them, just like the 'growling face' or the 'mean face' (and we all have seen them) sends its own message to the staff.

 

 

Don't think that Disney (calling their crew members 'cast members' is unique) -- all amusement parks do it as well throughout the country (Six Flags etc). They know that making all the staff part of the 'special events team', makes the team member feel better about their tough job.

 

If someone has never had a unique experience with a staff member, how sad. I had a cabin steward find an earring that I had lost. She did not have to go that extra mile to find it....it had fallen out of my ear in the hallway, and then offered a suggestion as to how to not have it happen again. We had a young, new assistant waiter on our most recent cruise that by day three new our personal favorites and brought them without waiting for us to ask for them. In both cases, we rewarded them additionally. In the first case, it was before 'automatic tipping'.

 

I say, come with the attitude that it will be a unique and magical experience along with your smile, and VIOLA....most of the time, the magical experience will be yours...it has been our experience.

[bUU]

I think that speaks volumes for how well the cruise lines actually carry out their mission. They want you to feel like you are coming home when you step aboard the ship and that you are the most important person who will walk across the gangway today.

And in reality that's the aim and intention of every consumer service provider whether they're in travel, communications or whatever. People mistake the adage by recalling it as, "The customer is always right," but operationally it has always been, "Make the customer feel like you think they're always right."

 

Cruising for many brings with it a certain mystique, I will agree. I am not sure if it is created from their imagination or the old 'Love Boat' TV show....but it certainly is there.

There's no denying that the industry's trajectory changed during the run of that series. However, I think the mystique was developed from what was already the reality aboard ship back then, regardless of whether it was something featured in the television series.

[Paulette3028]

And in reality that's the aim and intention of every consumer service provider whether they're in travel, communications or whatever. People mistake the adage by recalling it as, "The customer is always right," but operationally it has always been, "Make the customer feel like you think they're always right."

 

There's no denying that the industry's trajectory changed during the run of that series. However, I think the mystique was developed from what was already the reality aboard ship back then, regardless of whether it was something featured in the television series.

 

You bring up an interest thing....that will probably take this thread off track, so be it, if it happens. "The customer is always right' adage is nonsense. Because they are not. I work in a service industry that sells products to consumers. Then we have reasonable refund policies, but the customer is not always right. Unreasonable expectation from a customer, cannot be met by anyone. Our goal 'is to do the best that we can for the customer WITHIN OUR VERY REASONABLE COMPANY POLICIES with the goal of the customer understanding that we did the BEST WE COULD FOR THEM. I will repeat 'the customer is not always right'. I deal with one customer per day who is not right....but when they leave me, they feel that I did the best I could for them. That's my job....and guess what they keep coming back and buying more stuff from us.

 

I remember our first cruise -- it was 2004, long after Love Boat. The friends we were sailing had sailed previously quite a bit...one couple had even gone on Navigator the year before. They gave us an idea of what to expect, but nothing over the top....but when we walked on that ship, there was two receiving lines of staff members welcoming us on board. It was amazing. That feeling is what I summon up in me EVERY sailing we go on....the magic of the first cruise....and I am never disappointed in a sailing. But I also recognize the changes that have happened, I am not naive. Do I miss the 'French service' at dinner? No not really. Some of my friends do. Do I miss the chocolate mints on my pillow? No, neither does my waistline. Do I miss the Midnight Buffet? No, again neither does my waistline. I have NEVER been hungry on a cruise. I wish they did not cut the staff down quite as much, service is a little slower in the MDR; the cabin stewards work very very hard and have more cabins than back in 2004 to serve. Sometimes I even have come across crew members from a previous sailing -- I don't expect them to remember me, but I do remember them.

[Ontario Cruiser]

We have been tipping over and above the auto tips but as our Canadian dollar keeps dropping it is costing us around 40 cents to the dollar more so we have to factor this in. Hopefully it will improve but doesn't look like it will and is predicted to go even lower. Also it affects the price of the cruise.

Ontario Cruiser

[davenew]

[quote=cocod08;52996045 On my last 2 cruises I never saw my cabin stewards so I didn't feel that an extra tip was needed.

 

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I would tend to think that the steward is being very discreet and professional by noting when you are out of the room, and then coming in to service the room, thus disturbing you the least, and not appearing to be in your face so that you notice them.

Is the room being serviced to a high standard ?? Then why not tip them extra.

Do you really want to see them every 5 minutes.

[lucymorgan]

Can anyone explain why many on CC say that having the same waiter each night warrants different tipping to having a different one each night??????

 

Well...... We always leave the autograts on but if someone makes the effort to build a relationship during the cruise - such as some of the waiters we have had in traditional dining, we do tend to give them something extra on the last night. In our experience, once we have asked for something on the first night, they continue to provide each night (eg for bread, drinks, extra vegetables served with the main meal). Also, over the length of the cruise, the relationship, interaction and mutual understanding of our backgrounds and family tends to develop. We don't always tip extra - it depends whether we feel the interaction is genuine or not.

 

Perhaps this also happens for some with MTD - we haven't tried it.

[BNBR]

When we do traditional dining, on a 7 day cruise, I'll give the waiter $100 for the table (there is 4 - 6 of us). Room stewards an extra $50 per room or so. Plus I'll tip the bartenders an extra buck per drink.

 

Everyone has their own opinion on the topic. As you can read here, many are just cheap and make excuses to spend as little as possible so "unless it's AMAZING service, nothing extra." I think it's appropriate to give SOMETHING extra in cash.

[Paulette3028]

Well...... We always leave the autograts on but if someone makes the effort to build a relationship during the cruise - such as some of the waiters we have had in traditional dining, we do tend to give them something extra on the last night. In our experience, once we have asked for something on the first night, they continue to provide each night (eg for bread, drinks, extra vegetables served with the main meal). Also, over the length of the cruise, the relationship, interaction and mutual understanding of our backgrounds and family tends to develop. We don't always tip extra - it depends whether we feel the interaction is genuine or not.

 

Perhaps this also happens for some with MTD - we haven't tried it.

 

If someone gives me better service, as identified by the highlighted red notes above without me even asking as a cruise moves along....they deserve an extra tip....they have made my dinner nicer, by the smallest of things that I don't have to ask for. It is nice to have pleasant conversations with my wait staff....I learn about other countries and enjoy that....but whether I tip extra or not has'absolutely nothing to do with whether I feel the interaction was genuine or not (see blue notation).....if my dinner experience was improved by their actions, it is deserved.

[lucymorgan]

if my dinner experience was improved by their actions, it is deserved.

 

 

Agreed - however my dinner experience is improved by people who consistently and genuinely give great service without necessarily expecting more than the standard grats in return.

 

 

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[Paulette3028]

Agreed - however my dinner experience is improved by people who consistently and genuinely give great service without necessarily expecting more than the standard grats in return.

 

 

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I work in a service industry. I do my job to the best of my ability to facilitate a pleasant day at work with customers and co workers. I provide the best service to the customer that I can in the situations presented within the guidelines of our company -- because I don't break company policy (there is room for bending). Is it a genuine 'like/love' of my customer -- no, it is my job to do it to the best of my ability. Compliments come into our home office on my interactions all the time. I don't do it for them, I do my job the way I do it, because that is 'what I am paid to do'.

 

If my wait staff gives me the kind of service that I feel deserves more than what has already been provided through 'automatic tips' -- I do it....but whether they feel a genuine _____________ (fill in the blank -- I struggle figuring out what word some people would put there) towards me isn't my gauge.

[Ocean Boy]

When we do traditional dining, on a 7 day cruise, I'll give the waiter $100 for the table (there is 4 - 6 of us). Room stewards an extra $50 per room or so. Plus I'll tip the bartenders an extra buck per drink.

 

Everyone has their own opinion on the topic. As you can read here, many are just cheap and make excuses to spend as little as possible so "unless it's AMAZING service, nothing extra." I think it's appropriate to give SOMETHING extra in cash.

So now leaving an 18% gratuity is being cheap?:rolleyes:

[BNBR]

So now leaving an 18% gratuity is being cheap?:rolleyes:

 

Your room steward gets 18% of what, exactly?

 

And not that 18% is necessarily cheap, but I happen to also own a restaurant and I know for a fact the waitresses almost always leave with more than 20%.

[Ocean Boy]

Your room steward gets 18% of what, exactly?

 

And not that 18% is necessarily cheap, but I happen to also own a restaurant and I know for a fact the waitresses almost always leave with more than 20%.

I should not have said 18% in the case of the stewards and dining servers. They get whatever amount of the auto gratuities that the cruise lines have decided that they get. When they switched over to auto gratuities they basically took this issue out of the hands of the consumer. This, apparently, is something that the employer and employee have agreed to. They have set the recommendations. So, once again, how does abiding by them cast someone as being cheap?

 

When people remove auto grats. they are accused of being cheap even if they then provide their attendants with cash. If people leave their auto grats. in place but don't provide extra cash they are once again called cheap. I'm sure there must also be a standard for how much extra cash one should leave before the label of cheap is removed.

 

Maybe people should do what they feel is appropriate for as you stated above, everyone has their own opinion on this matter. I don't think it is necessary to judge or labels others who may disagree with you.

Edited May 16, 2017 by Ocean Boy

[grapau27]

I should not have said 18% in the case of the stewards and dining servers. They get whatever amount of the auto gratuities that the cruise lines have decided that they get. When they switched over to auto gratuities they basically took this issue out of the hands of the consumer. This, apparently, is something that the employer and employee have agreed to. They have set the recommendations. So, once again, how does abiding by them cast someone as being cheap?

 

When people remove auto grats. they are accused of being cheap even if they then provide their attendants with cash. If people leave their auto grats. in place but don't provide extra cash they are once again called cheap. I'm sure there must also be a standard for how much extra cash one should leave before the label of cheap is removed.

 

Maybe people should do what they feel is appropriate for as you stated above, everyone has their own opinion on this matter. I don't think it is necessary to judge or labels others who may disagree with you.

Lol sometimes you cannot win with some people no matter what gratuitys you give.