Towel Animals and Tipping

[new salt]

 

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should have called ghost busters, animal division

[Nebr.cruiser]

We've never tipped ahead, always had good service and plenty of towel animals, although that's one thing I don't care about. We usually add an additional tip the last day.

[newmexicoNita]

After 50 some cruises, I've never tipped the first, second or third day, only on the last day and I've never experienced an unfriendly Cabin Steward, never had a messy cabin and had all the towels and towel animals I could handle. Treating crew members with respect, works like a charm.

The same with us: to me, tipping ahead is called bribing. We have had a couple less than great cabin stewards but after about 40 cruises there have been less than a handful. Love towel animals, but if, for some reason we do not get one each night, big deal!!!!! We have found a way to get good service and a nice cabin: it is called showing interest in the crew; ask them where they are from or how long they have been with NCL? Do they have a family at home, how long since they have been home,etc, etc.

[newmexicoNita]

WRONG AGAIN!!! NCL DOES ADVERTISE PREPAID GRATUITIES .

 

At least they did unless they have made recent changes in their ads which I have stopped reading.

they offer them as a perk or promo, but not all the time.We choose the pre paids for the cruise we are taking in 2 weeks. It simply means our final will not be a surprise.

[LrgPizza]

People who truly believe they need to tip upfront in order to get good service are misleading themselves and others. Telling people they need to tip upfront to ensure they get towel animals is a flat out lie.

[SeaShark]

Interesting that nobody thinks to just ASK the steward for a towel animal each night...:rolleyes:

 

And if you'd rather not, then just ASK that they NOT make towel animals for you.

 

 

I think people will find them to be very accommodating to requests.

[LDWtk]

We’re taking our first Christmas Cruise and have already prepaid our gratuities. I was considering wrapping up a small Christmas gift for our room steward, not as a bribe but just as a nice gesture give that they are working and away from their family over the holiday. Any suggestions on what to give them? If a gift card, which one or phone card?

 

 

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[Mermaid1952]

We left our cabin steward a $10 bill every two days/ nights.

She earned it... she kept our cabin so nice!

It was so nice to walk in it every night and find the towel animals and everything straightened up!

Ice bucket always filled with fresh ice, cups, coffee and condiments.....

I wish " real life " was like cruising!

 

 

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[biker@sea]

We’re taking our first Christmas Cruise and have already prepaid our gratuities. I was considering wrapping up a small Christmas gift for our room steward, not as a bribe but just as a nice gesture give that they are working and away from their family over the holiday. Any suggestions on what to give them? If a gift card, which one or phone card?

 

 

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What if your steward's religion does not do X-mas?

[Mermaid1952]

What if your steward's religion does not do X-mas?

 

 

I think it's a lovely idea.

These are hard-working people who are away from their family, and any kind of little gift is appreciated no matter what part of the world you are from!

 

I also do not agree with someone saying that you should never tip before hand.

As soon as I'm on the ship, I'm handing out five dollar bills for anybody helps us.

If you want to call it a bribe, go ahead.😁 You won't hurt my feelings, but it sure gets me seated a bit quicker at times !

And I also found I rarely had to ask for anything twice after giving someone a gratuity.

I don't think they make a lot of money working on the ships, and if I can afford a cruise, I can afford showing someone my appreciation .

Just my thoughts! :*

[NLH Arizona]

We’re taking our first Christmas Cruise and have already prepaid our gratuities. I was considering wrapping up a small Christmas gift for our room steward, not as a bribe but just as a nice gesture give that they are working and away from their family over the holiday. Any suggestions on what to give them? If a gift card, which one or phone card?

 

 

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Unless you know something the person wants (nothing worse than getting a gift that you can't use or don't want), cash is the best. They might not be able to use gift cards and not all phone cards work in all locations. Not to mention that the Cabin Stewards and other personnell live in very small quarters...think about it, if even a small percentage of their passengers give them a small gift, that could be as many as 20 gifts that they have no place to store them. And then you have to ask, do they celebrate Christmas.

[NLH Arizona]

We left our cabin steward a $10 bill every two days/ nights.

She earned it... she kept our cabin so nice!

It was so nice to walk in it every night and find the towel animals and everything straightened up!

Ice bucket always filled with fresh ice, cups, coffee and condiments.....

I wish " real life " was like cruising!

 

 

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Just for giggles, on your next cruise don't tip until the last day and if your experience is anything like mine, your cabin will be straightened up, the ice bucket always filled and you will never have to ask twice. I give them a tip the last day for keeping everything ship shape!

[rbrugler]

I guess we are out of the loop. We pay our DSC, and at the end of the cruise I leave 20 for the steward. I put it in one off the many envelopes that have appreared outside our door.

[BenDover]

I guess we are out of the loop. We pay our DSC, and at the end of the cruise I leave 20 for the steward. I put it in one off the many envelopes that have appreared outside our door.

Are you saying they deliver "tip envelopes" to your cabin at the end of the cruise?

[ready2cruzagain]

Are you saying they deliver "tip envelopes" to your cabin at the end of the cruise?

I think he just means envelopes that had messages in them that were left outside the door.

 

I have not seen tip envelopes in years but funny thing on Princess a couple of years ago. We had one of the worse stewards we have ever had and what did he do...he left a white envelope that he had written Tip in pen on it on the bed the night before debarkation.

Hmm....I don't think so.:confused:

[sprint180]

We’ve always prepaid our gratuities on ncl

 

 

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[rbrugler]

I am not saying that at all. I have never seen a tip envelope. However, envelopes appear with shore excursion tickets, notice of special gatherings, etc. We use those.

[rbrugler]

Are you saying they deliver "tip envelopes" to your cabin at the end of the cruise?

 

]I am not saying that at all. I have never seen a tip envelope. However, envelopes appear with shore excursion tickets, notice of special gatherings, etc. We use those.

[swedish weave]

No you haven't. You prepaid your DSC, we do as well.

Can you explain why NCL calls the DSC gratuities?

Or possibly maybe you can give us a link to the information you have that conflicts with the cruise lines correspondence. They offer prepaid gratuities, and when you accept their offer, they pay the DSC.

I am sure you can help us eliminate the confusion.

Thank you in advance for clearing this up for us.

[NMLady]

No you haven't. You prepaid your DSC, we do as well.

 

NCL uses "service charge" and "gratuities" interchangeably since sometimes NCL calls it one and sometimes the other.

[NLH Arizona]

NCL uses "service charge" and "gratuities" interchangeably since sometimes NCL calls it one and sometimes the other.

It seems like NCL's marketing department uses the term gratuities (especially when they offer free gratuities in a promotion), probably because that is what other lines call it and it is easier for all to understand.

[BenDover]

]I am not saying that at all. I have never seen a tip envelope. However, envelopes appear with shore excursion tickets, notice of special gatherings, etc. We use those.

Thanks for the clarification.

[sumonami]

I would never insult a service professional by "tipping" them on the first day to give me good service. I treat them like I know they will give me prompt and satisfactory service and will reap the rewards accordingly. 99% of the time I am not disappointed.

 

 

 

Personally, I think doing what the OP suggested just makes you look like a tacky tourist who has little experience traveling or dealing with customer service professionals. In other words, disrespectful.

 

 

 

As someone else said though, to each their own.

 

 

 

I disagree that tipping on the front-end is construed as an insult to a service professional. As a very seasoned traveler, I prefer exceptional service over "satisfactory" service any day of the week. As such, I always give a 20 to my room steward upon our first meeting when I request more/better pillows, a plush robe, ice at both am/pm service, and any other little extra requests I may have. I also give various other staff members a generous tip on day one- ensures a better table at dinner, a better pour at the bar, etc.

If you'd like to call it a bribe, well, that's your prerogative. I'll sit back comfortably in my plush robe, stiff drink in hand, feeling happy on the inside knowing I scratched their backs and in return, they scratched mine;-)

 

 

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[ncklhaus]

I disagree that tipping on the front-end is construed as an insult to a service professional. As a very seasoned traveler, I prefer exceptional service over "satisfactory" service any day of the week. As such, I always give a 20 to my room steward upon our first meeting when I request more/better pillows, a plush robe, ice at both am/pm service, and any other little extra requests I may have. I also give various other staff members a generous tip on day one- ensures a better table at dinner, a better pour at the bar, etc.

If you'd like to call it a bribe, well, that's your prerogative. I'll sit back comfortably in my plush robe, stiff drink in hand, feeling happy on the inside knowing I scratched their backs and in return, they scratched mine;-)

 

 

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I really wish there was a like button!

[LDWtk]

With the prepaid tips, is the cabin steward aware of this upon our arrival? I just don’t want it to feel awkward at the end of the cruise when we don’t hand him an envelope. Granted I do plan to tip a little if warranted throughout the cruise but is it necessary for me to inform the cabin steward that I prepaid?

 

 

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