I need the tipping lowdown...

[chattkis]

Ok, all of these different threads about tipping are making me crazy. I need someone to give a simple guide to tipping on a 5 day caribbean cruise for two on Enchantment. Cash? Seapass? Everyday or at the end of the cruise? hand money to the waitors? etc etc? What is expected? Thanks a lot

[Sheffie]

First, here is a link to a tip calculator: http://cruisetip.tpkeller.com/

 

We put ours on our Seapass and then add more in cash if we want to. They give us envelopes w/vouchers that we give to the waiters, etc. the last night of the cruise. Last time I also wrote thank-you notes to the various people who helped us out through the week. They seemed very appreciative of the personal touch.

 

The only people that you would pay during the week are the people who provide room service, if you get it. Usually $1 or $2 per time.

 

Tips for the drinks are added on to your bill, so you don't have to give an extra tip then.

 

Hope this answered your question.

 

Have a great cruise!

[FJTinSC]

Follow the cruise lines posted tipping guidelines, found in your docs or on their website, and you can't go wrong.

 

Tip at the end of the cruise, and whether you use cash or pre-paid is simply a matter of preference.

[madforcruising]

Everything of the above said is very accurate.

 

The cruise tip calculator from Theron is a great tool.

 

Other than the people that are recommended by the cruise line for tipping there is no need to tip extra with the exeption of room service.

 

The Bar tenders are tipped through an automatically amount of 15% added to the bar bill. However there is a space on the bar bill where you can put an additional tip if you wish to. It´s also not uncommon, while in no way expected, to tip your favourite bar tender a buck or two extra in cash.

 

When using the Windjammer don´t worry about the waiters up there. If you like they appreciate an extra tip of course but in the meantime they are on a rotating schedule and the same waiters you will find in the Dining room and therefore covered by the tip you leave in the Dining room.

 

If you have Concierge Service you might want to tip the Concierge at your discretion depending on the service you use the Concierge for.

[dougp26364]

The cabin steward has left a pre-paid tipping form in our room sometime during our stay. You can also pick it up at the guest relations desk if you prefer. All you have to do is fill it out and they'll add it to your seapass account. As mentioned, you'll get your vouchers and envelopes on the last day so you can pass them out that night.

 

We find it just as easy to do it this way as to try to get the right amount of cash to put in the envelope on that last day. It's a lot less hassle IMO to use the vouchers. If you feel someone has done an extra nice job, you can always add a little to it.

 

The problem with the vouchers is, if someone is really lousy and you don't feel like tipping the full amount, I don't think there's a way to deduct it. I've met a few people who won't tip the head waiter if all he does is introduce himself that first night, then show up to collect his tips on the final night.

 

Personally, I just use the pre-paid vouchers and don't worry about it.

[jd10367]

My wife and I just got off the Enchantment's 12/5 five-nighter (our first cruise). I was also concerned about the tipping. It's very easy, though.

 

On the next to last day, they will leave a form in your room for you to fill out if you want to have vouchers for the tips charged to your Seapass card. You drop the form off at the Guest Services desk on Deck 5, and they leave the vouchers in your room by 6pm on the last night so you can bring them to dinner. The rates they use are:

 

$3.50 per person per day for the Waiter

$2.00 per person per day for the Assistant Waiter (the guy who takes care of the drinks, rolls, and clearing away the dishes)

$0.75 per person per day for the Head Waiter

$3.50 per person per day for the Room Steward

 

Now, if you look at these charges, they're not very unreasonable. A lot of people seem to gripe about the Head Waiter getting tipped for not doing anything, but, c'mon: the guy's getting a whopping 75 cents a day from you. People were throwing out money for drinks and shoving it down the slot machines like it was going out of style; what's 75 cents? For my wife and I, the Head Waiter got a whole $7.50 for the whole trip (they go by nights, not by days). The few times we saw him, we was funny and engaging enough to earn that much. (And I did see him pulling the head waiters and assistants aside and indicating when he thought glasses needed more water or plates needed clearing... so they do actually do some work.)

 

If you feel like sticking a little extra in the envelope, go for it. We gave the Waiter an extra 10 bucks, and everyone else an extra 5. A drop in the bucket compared to everything else.

 

As for other tipping... As was mentioned, the drinks get a 15% gratuity built in. That doesn't mean you can't add more if you want. If I ordered a drink and would normally tip a buck, I would round up the tip to make it a buck (instead of the usual .71 or whatever that the 15% would add up to). If you really like 'em, give 'em a cash buck instead.

 

If you order room service, that would also call for a tip (not a big deal since the food is free). We didn't get room service, but if we did I would've given the deliverer a couple of bucks for it.

 

I did tip two bucks in the Windjammer. They do a lot of grunt work up there, and seemed to get very little appreciation for it. I figured, if I go to the Hometown Buffet and give the guy who cleans my plates off the table a couple of bucks, it wouldn't kill me to do it at the Windjammer. We ate lunch there twice, and breakfast there twice. Eight bucks... big whoop.

 

We did not tip additional when having breakfast or lunch at the dining room, although I did tip the headwaiter an extra two bucks after breakfast on debarkation day (since they had all already gotten their tip envelopes, and were thus working for no tips that day).

 

If you use the porters to get your bags onto the ship, or from the debarkation area to your car, then they should get a tip.

 

I took a roll of fifty $1 bills on the trip, and it was plenty. If you plan to eat and drink a lot more, then bring more. :)

[TPKeller]

For my wife and I, the Head Waiter got a whole $7.50 for the whole trip (they go by nights, not by days).

 

... although I did tip the headwaiter an extra two bucks after breakfast on debarkation day (since they had all already gotten their tip envelopes, and were thus working for no tips that day).

jd, this was an excellent post summarizing up the way tips work on Royal Caribbean! Allow me to fill in a slight hole from your two paragraphs above. This is easy for new cruisers to miss. The two points you make are actually related! It isn't quite correct to say that the waiters aren't working for tips on the day you disembark the ship, and for the same reason that cruise tipping is counted by nights instead of days... There is ALWAYS someone else getting on the ship the same day you get off! So that next person is tipping for that day, just like you tipped for the full first day of your cruise, even though you didn't board until noon or after, when everyone from the previous trip had already left.

 

Just wanted to connect those dots for you!

 

Theron

[Cincy-David]

The problem with the vouchers is, if someone is really lousy and you don't feel like tipping the full amount, I don't think there's a way to deduct it..

 

Just FYI If you use the prepaid voucher and don't want to tip the recommended amount or want to skip someone non deserving, you can go to guest services desk by Midnight on Friday and have the suggested amounts altered to you liking.

 

You can also have them add additional amounts to the suggested amount if you would like.

 

As a side note: Many of the service providers prefer the vouchers. It was expressed to me by our waiter that when the voucher is used, they receive the compensation through their normal checks distribution system and that for those on direct deposit, they prefer this as the money goes straight into their personal accounts. Many do not want the US dollars to have to exchange for thier currency of port or homeland.

[JerseyGirl23]

My wife and I just got off the Enchantment's 12/5 five-nighter (our first cruise). I was also concerned about the tipping. It's very easy, though.

 

On the next to last day, they will leave a form in your room for you to fill out if you want to have vouchers for the tips charged to your Seapass card. You drop the form off at the Guest Services desk on Deck 5, and they leave the vouchers in your room by 6pm on the last night so you can bring them to dinner. The rates they use are:

 

$3.50 per person per day for the Waiter

$2.00 per person per day for the Assistant Waiter (the guy who takes care of the drinks, rolls, and clearing away the dishes)

$0.75 per person per day for the Head Waiter

$3.50 per person per day for the Room Steward

 

Now, if you look at these charges, they're not very unreasonable. A lot of people seem to gripe about the Head Waiter getting tipped for not doing anything, but, c'mon: the guy's getting a whopping 75 cents a day from you. People were throwing out money for drinks and shoving it down the slot machines like it was going out of style; what's 75 cents? For my wife and I, the Head Waiter got a whole $7.50 for the whole trip (they go by nights, not by days). The few times we saw him, we was funny and engaging enough to earn that much. (And I did see him pulling the head waiters and assistants aside and indicating when he thought glasses needed more water or plates needed clearing... so they do actually do some work.)

 

If you feel like sticking a little extra in the envelope, go for it. We gave the Waiter an extra 10 bucks, and everyone else an extra 5. A drop in the bucket compared to everything else.

 

As for other tipping... As was mentioned, the drinks get a 15% gratuity built in. That doesn't mean you can't add more if you want. If I ordered a drink and would normally tip a buck, I would round up the tip to make it a buck (instead of the usual .71 or whatever that the 15% would add up to). If you really like 'em, give 'em a cash buck instead.

 

If you order room service, that would also call for a tip (not a big deal since the food is free). We didn't get room service, but if we did I would've given the deliverer a couple of bucks for it.

 

I did tip two bucks in the Windjammer. They do a lot of grunt work up there, and seemed to get very little appreciation for it. I figured, if I go to the Hometown Buffet and give the guy who cleans my plates off the table a couple of bucks, it wouldn't kill me to do it at the Windjammer. We ate lunch there twice, and breakfast there twice. Eight bucks... big whoop.

 

We did not tip additional when having breakfast or lunch at the dining room, although I did tip the headwaiter an extra two bucks after breakfast on debarkation day (since they had all already gotten their tip envelopes, and were thus working for no tips that day).

 

If you use the porters to get your bags onto the ship, or from the debarkation area to your car, then they should get a tip.

 

I took a roll of fifty $1 bills on the trip, and it was plenty. If you plan to eat and drink a lot more, then bring more. :)

 

Thanks for taking the time to post! :)

[springtxbill]

I always use the seapass for the vouchers and add cash in the envelope if the service is really outstanding.

[dfishner]

A question when you eat in the speciality restaurants do you deducts the two days you ate there from the main dining room?

Thanks

[Cincy-David]

A question when you eat in the speciality restaurants do you deducts the two days you ate there from the main dining room?

Thanks

 

I do not, choosing to dine in an alternate should not reduce your tip to the full time staff assigned to your dining room table. This is my opionion only, but seems to be the concensus if you read any of the tipping threads on CC.

[Merion_Mom]

As a side note: Many of the service providers prefer the vouchers. It was expressed to me by our waiter that when the voucher is used, they receive the compensation through their normal checks distribution system and that for those on direct deposit, they prefer this as the money goes straight into their personal accounts. Many do not want the US dollars to have to exchange for thier currency of port or homeland.

And most we spoke to prefer cash.........."a bird in the hand..............."

[Jill0526]

What about tipping the staff of Adventure Ocean? My daughter is planning to attend the activities in the 9-11 age group. Would you tip the staff? If so, how much? Do they always have the same staff, or do they "share" staff with the other groups?

 

Thanks for your help.

[Host Kat]

Howdy!

 

Just my for y'all.

 

If you do not eat all or any of your meals in the Dining Room at night, please remember your wait staff does not get much of a salary (sometimes as low as only $1.25 a day or sometimes no salary at all). Your "tips" are really their "salaries". They work very long hours with many split shifts and with very little sleep. So, on the last night of your cruise, please eat in the Dining Room at your assigned table and give your wait persons their envelope with at least the suggested tip per person per day by voucher and/or cash. Or if you have other dinner plans that night, please stop by the Dining Room and tip your wait staff before dinner. (Okay, I'll get off my soap box now. People that stiff the Dining Room folks are a pet peeve of mine.)

 

With tips paid by prepaying with your TA, adding to your SeaPass Card account or in good ole "dead president" cash, the best "tip" by far is when you fill out the comment cards at the end of your cruise. Write something good using a staff/crew person's name specifically. Raises and promotions are based on the comment cards.

 

It is also good to personally write a letter to your cruise line with the staff/crew person's name mentioned. Be sure to put in specifically how, when, where, etc. they helped you. Those letters are shared MUCH faster with the staff/crew person by a Supervisor than the comment cards which they may not find out out about for weeks. When a good letter is received by a Supervisor, a staff/crew person may be rewarded with extra time off, which is probably the best "tip" given the excruciating long hours they work!

 

Happy trails to you...

 

Kat

[imatarb]

We used our SeaPass for the recommended amounts, and then we tipped out extra cash to our Room Attendant, Head Waiter, Waiter, Asst. Waiter and the Adventure Ocean staff.