Tip Advice

[2 Rookie Cruisers]

What is the best way to go?

 

-The one-time, all inclusive tip (and give out additional tips for exemplary service)?

-Just tip as you go?

 

Thanks!!:D

[h_blond2]

Tipping is a personal subject, and you will get many different responses. We choose to pre pay the tips and then tip extra to those who we feel deserve it.

[Keith1010]

I would go with number 1.

 

h_blond2 is right.

 

You will get lots of opinions.

 

Keith

[NMLady]

What is the best way to go?

 

-The one-time, all inclusive tip (and give out additional tips for exemplary service)?

-Just tip as you go?

 

Thanks!!:D

 

Leave the charged tip in place and give whatever extra you wish. That way you are sure they can keep the tip.

 

If you "tip as you" go they might have to turn in the tips to pool them to make sure everyone who would be included in the charged tip gets included.

[Schoifmom]

Almost every cruiseline has a "suggested" gratuity amount which they will add to your on board account. This is distributed among those who serve you on the ship. You don't say which line you are cruising, so I can't give you any more specifics on that. If you will search the specific forum for your cruiseline (enter "tip" or "gratuity" in the search box), you will get a TON of information (some of it good, much of it useless).

 

We will typically stick with the ship's recommended amount and then add some extra in cash for extraordinary service either at the end of the cruise or when it is performed, depending on the circumstances.

[paul929207]

We always leave on the auto-tip and tip additional if it is warranted.

[easyboy]

We prefer auto tip. Less worry for us.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[cruzeluver]

Tip-as-you-go does not work. If you remove auto gratuities and then tip "as you see fit" they must pool those tips anyway. Additionally, there are folks behind the scenes who share in the paid gratuities who get screwed when folks opt-out.

 

Either pre-pay or let them add auto gratuities on board. Then tip extra if you feel warranted. So easy.

[Nebr.cruiser]

We always leave on the auto-tip and tip additional if it is warranted.

 

Exactly what we do. We usually tip the steward extra unless service was very mediocre. It's so much easier and we don't have to continually be handing out tips or looking for people the last night.

[leaveitallbehind]

IMO leave any automatic pay gratuities in place and add additional at your discretion if you feel it is warranted.

[DirtyDawg]

Tip-as-you-go does not work. If you remove auto gratuities and then tip "as you see fit" they must pool those tips anyway. Additionally, there are folks behind the scenes who share in the paid gratuities who get screwed when folks opt-out.

 

Either pre-pay or let them add auto gratuities on board. Then tip extra if you feel warranted. So easy.

 

If any cash tips are pooled then all the members of the pool, including the behind the scenes crew members, would get their share. If they do not pool the tips the behind the scenes crew get screwed.

 

OP, as you can see there are many opinions of what goes on if people opt-out of the auto-tips and tip in cash, so it's just a lot easier to leave the auto-tips in place and tip extra for 'above and beyond' service.

 

And besides, many cruise lines make you go down to, and line up at, Guest Services in order to opt-out of your auto-tips. I don't know about you, but I'm not wasting valuable vacation time lining up at GS while I could be sipping a Margarita by the pool! Or reading my book, or napping, or..............

[sloopsailor]

Tip-as-you-go does not work. If you remove auto gratuities and then tip "as you see fit" they must pool those tips anyway. Additionally, there are folks behind the scenes who share in the paid gratuities who get screwed when folks opt-out.

 

Either pre-pay or let them add auto gratuities on board. Then tip extra if you feel warranted. So easy.

 

OP, when you "tip as you go", you create more work for the people you think you are being generous to. They are required to maintain a record of who has given them any cash tips, and they then need to turn those tips in to be distributed. This causes more work for zero benefit since they cannot keep the full amount.

 

If you leave the auto tips in place, or pre-pay the tips as we usually do, soon after the end of the cruise when all passenger accounts have been settled and reconciled, they will find any extra tip amounts deposited directly into their salary accounts. If you remove the auto tips and pay them directly, they will get only a portion of your tips deposited, and in many cases, will see less than what the auto tips amounts would be. It is easy to underestimate the amounts tipped directly as opposed to the auto tip amounts. For instance, for a cabin with two occupants, auto tips amounts are in the $14 per person range on many cruise lines. That's $28 per day for two people. For a 10 day cruise, that's $280, which must be distributed. I rather doubt than most people tip that amount when they do it "as they go" because it is easy to forget about the behind-the-scenes-people who share those tips.

 

We only tip extra at the end of the cruise if we feel they took extra care of us. We always use an envelope, and put our last name and room number on it to make it easier for them to report it when they hand the tip amount in.

[Markanddonna]

I think it is fascinating that we cruisers put much consideration into the issue of tipping since it has pretty much been mandated that we do so. I realize we can complain and have our service charges removed.

 

When we first began to cruise (15 years ago), you were given envelopes for about four people. Then the service charge became an automatic add-on, but still, some people think it is important to tip extra. I think some new folks don't realize the history of the tip/service charge and feel it is almost mandatory to tip above what is on your bill. I do, upon occasion, but it has to be pretty great service.

[SRF]

I leave auto tips in place, and tip extra for extraordinary service.

 

Simple. Easy.