Cash Tips for Special Service

[MTNestr]

How often do you give cash tips to individual cruise staff for excellent service? For example, you may want to recognize a waiter in the Princess Theater who gives you special attention.

 

How much cash do you give and what do they do with the tip?

[Potstech]

We always just tip at the end of the cruise and never reveal how much. We take amounts as a personnal decision.

[Pickels]

How often do you give cash tips to individual cruise staff for excellent service? For example, you may want to recognize a waiter in the Princess Theater who gives you special attention.

 

How much cash do you give and what do they do with the tip?

We've always provided envelopes at the end of the cruise, cabin steward, butler, waiter, etc. and it's usually three figures. The amount is always your decision.

[cbelc]

We prepay and then add a little in envelopes at the end of the cruise. We tip cash if we order room service food.

 

 

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[pthjudy]

We've always provided envelopes at the end of the cruise, cabin steward, butler, waiter, etc. and it's usually three figures. The amount is always your decision.

Are your three figures in addition to the deducted gratuities or in lieu of? Just wondering.......

[cruzsnooze]

How often do you give cash tips to individual cruise staff for excellent service? For example, you may want to recognize a waiter in the Princess Theater who gives you special attention.

 

How much cash do you give and what do they do with the tip?

Cruises are built on the premise of great / excellent service. Your daily auto gratuity which in my opinion is already to high is more then enough. So in answer to your question of how often do I give cash tips which end up in the tipping pool anyway Never.

[riffatsea]

IF we decide to tip in addition to the included gratuities we don't wait until the last day. We like to surprise the person earlier on in the cruise.

We don't like to do things on the day people expect at home too.

We often give "Christmas" thank you money in November!

[XBGuy]

How often do you give cash tips to individual cruise staff for excellent service? For example, you may want to recognize a waiter in the Princess Theater who gives you special attention.

 

Often.

 

How much cash do you give

Varies. As little as a couple bucks as much as 50.

 

and what do they do with the tip?

 

None of my business. I gave it to him/her. I have no more interest.

 

 

I'm pretty sure that your last question refers to the "Oh, they don't get to keep it. It goes into the 'pool'" argument.

 

I don't care.

 

Here is the way I look at it. I usually tip the restaurant servers. If it goes into their pocket, fine. If it goes into a pool, fine.

 

My argument is based on the assumption that if the cash tips are pooled they are turned in to the room's headwaiter. If the headwaiter notices that Janos, consistently, turns in, say, $60-$80 every evening, and Svetlana rarely turns in even $10. He is going to conclude that Janos is doing something that guests find is worth rewarding. He might further conclude that Janos deserves special recognition--perhaps, Janos would be assigned to tables reserved by preferred guests or ship's officers. He might further conclude that Svetlana needs help. Maybe he should be more observant of her, and look for ways to help her.

 

So, in either the "pocket the tips" or the"pool the tips" scenario, the higher performer is recognized.

 

Of course, I am also assuming that the headwaiter has good personnel management skills. Based on my experience with some of the headwaiters, I know that is a risky assumption. I have to conclude that if they treat their guests poorly, there is no reason to suspect that they treat their subordinates any better. In that case, my rationale is that I did all I could do. So, I am still comfortable.

[caribill]

How often do you give cash tips to individual cruise staff for excellent service? For example, you may want to recognize a waiter in the Princess Theater who gives you special attention.

 

How much cash do you give and what do they do with the tip?

 

As you know, the drinks served by the staff in the Princess Theater have a 15% gratuity included whether you pay by the drink or have the beverage package.

 

However, if you wish to give cash to that person, why not just do it each time you are served? Just give a dollar or two. If you wait until near the end of the cruise there is always a chance you will not see that person.

 

And, yes, that person can keep any cash tip although sometimes the bar servers in an area might share cash tips.

[idahospud]

As you know, the drinks served by the staff in the Princess Theater have a 15% gratuity included whether you pay by the drink or have the beverage package.

My understanding is that the 15% from the individual drinks goes to the server. But the beverage package 15% is charged when the package is purchased and put into the pool.

[MTNestr]

Each morning I spend time in the IC reading my email and local news on my iPad. I also buy a Princess coffee mug to use instead of the IC paper cups.

 

After a few days the IC waiters recognize me and automatically bring a pot of coffee to fill my coffee mug. I just sit down and a waiter shows up with coffee and a smile. I usually tip that waiter(s) $10 at the end of the cruise. I’ve never had a bad experience with any of the IC staff. They’re Great!

[smixsell]

We usually give our cabin steward (individually) and main dining room waiters (combined) at least $100 in cash. We have often given our cabin stewards $200. This is over and above the prepaid daily tips.

 

I used to be a waiter for many years, and like to "make their day." These folks work very hard and many are helping take care of large extended families back home.

 

Also we do it because, by God's grace, we can. :) "Freely you have received, freely give" Matthew 10:8

 

I also always try and keep some $5 dollar bills to give to room service waiters after each service.

[GuardCruisers]

We pack along some $2 bills and use those for some of the "best service ever" staff. They are unique.

 

I also tip our cabin steward, waiter, bus boy and at least one of the main bartenders on the first day. $50 for the cabin steward, waiter and bus boy (he really does all the work lugging those trays up!) and $20 for the bartender. I introduce ourselves and let them know we are looking forward to an awesome vacation. I believe in TIPS, To Insure Proper Service. We have never been disappointed and never told "no". A bribe, you call it? Maybe. I just want to have a great vacation and I work to insure it.

[Orlando Vic]

 

I also tip our cabin steward, waiter, bus boy and at least one of the main bartenders on the first day. $50 for the cabin steward, waiter and bus boy .

 

bus BOY?

 

 

 

 

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[SinbadThePorter]

We pack along some $2 bills and use those for some of the "best service ever" staff. They are unique.

 

I also tip our cabin steward, waiter, bus boy and at least one of the main bartenders on the first day. $50 for the cabin steward, waiter and bus boy (he really does all the work lugging those trays up!) and $20 for the bartender. I introduce ourselves and let them know we are looking forward to an awesome vacation. I believe in TIPS, To Insure Proper Service. We have never been disappointed and never told "no". A bribe, you call it? Maybe. I just want to have a great vacation and I work to insure it.

 

It's also fun to just dangle dollar bills over the heads of staff to see how high you can make them jump.

[Toofarfromthesea]

We pack along some $2 bills and use those for some of the "best service ever" staff. They are unique.

 

 

They are also not very familiar to the money exchange places which makes it difficult for crew to exchange and if they are able to do so they get a lousy rate. You think you are doing something nice, and cute (and I do not doubt that you are doing it in good faith and with good intentions) but the reality is that a crew member would far rather have 2 nice new crisp $1 bills, since that is easiest to exchange and gets the best exchange rate.

[BJS]

"I just want to have a great vacation and I work to insure it."

 

Interesting comment about tipping at first rather than for service above and beyond.

We have never done this in over 40 cruises and all of our vacations have been "great".

 

Unless there has been a big change in Princess policy of handling tips these cash tips are supposed be put in an envelope with their name and the room number of the person giving them and turned in They are then held until the cruise ends and if that room has also left the auto gratuity in place they are given the envelope and money back. I'm sure there are some that do not abide by this rule but by doing so they put their future in jeopardy.

[Proplayer]

They are also not very familiar to the money exchange places which makes it difficult for crew to exchange and if they are able to do so they get a lousy rate. You think you are doing something nice, and cute (and I do not doubt that you are doing it in good faith and with good intentions) but the reality is that a crew member would far rather have 2 nice new crisp $1 bills, since that is easiest to exchange and gets the best exchange rate.

 

 

 

I disagree, I was once on a private island where all the lounge chairs were already taken. I held up a $2 bill and had attendants fighting to get us chairs first. Now I get a pad of $2 bills and tear them off as tips. The novelty or the scarcity of a $2 bill always gets me special service everywhere on the ship and in ports!

 

 

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[pris993]

How often do you give cash tips to individual cruise staff for excellent service? For example, you may want to recognize a waiter in the Princess Theater who gives you special attention.

 

How much cash do you give and what do they do with the tip?

 

if somone goes out our of their way, we give them a few dollars on the spot.

[neverbeenhere]

These tipping threads are the absolute greatest invention. They bring out the best in everyone; most of the everyones don't deserve a tip for courteous service.:evilsmile:

[GuardCruisers]

Agreed, ProPlayer. Have done this numerous times on cruises and in resorts in Mexico. Not sure what to tell you beyond the fact that our service has been wonderful and fast!