Calling all recent Camp users! How much to tip per kid? 7 day cruise...

[bobandsherry]

Plus free room and board...

Yes, but the "room" is about the size of a smaller walk in closet with bunk beds and shared by two people. They are also in less desirable locations that have lots of engine or entertainment noises. And FYI, if you think your cabin bathroom is small, the crews bathroom is about half that size, maybe a bit smaller. And the meals are NOT like what you get. The crew occasionally gets the left over food items that passengers don't consume and consider that a treat such as left over chocolate melting cake which by that time is no longer melting.

 

So yes, they do get room and board, but it's far from being comfortable surroundings.

 

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[Athankfulheart]

Night Owls parties already include a 15% gratuity tacked on when you sign your check. I don't tip above this. At the end of the week, I do tip staff who my children mention or who I recognise because we have dealt with them on more than one occasion. $5-$20 just depending on various things.

[Havingfun2010]

Camp Carnival staff do not share in any tip pool. And most parents (99.9%) give no tip. The staff gets a minimal wage and ends up making less than wait staff. Many people have no problem giving a buck to person who serves a drink but never think of giving something to those that they entrust with their child. Considering they are leaving their most previous with the staff who works to make the cruise a most enjoyable memory that seems like such a shame that very few recognize the effort.

 

Really nice to see you are already planning to tip them. Those who have topped are $10 or $20 for the week. The staff would really appreciate it if each parent gave just $5.

 

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The reason they don't share in the tip pool, is because they are not tipped employees. Tipped employees make less than minimum wage, and make their money in tips per their contracts, or what is customary, such as waiters, etc. The bartender makes their money in tips. However, staff gets a paycheck. Now, I'm not sure what you are referring to a "minimum wage" for the counselors, but they do have the option to sign on the dotted line their contract for working. They have made a decision, before stepping foot on the ship, what they will earn, and that amount is without tips.

 

It seems people have this idea that one should tip everyone they see. I have never tipped an employee that is not a tippable employee. The reason 99.9% of people don't tip, is because of this reason. They aren't tipped employees.

[BNBR]

We have never tipped the Camp staff as I feel this is part of the cruise experience for our granddaughter and included in the cost of her cruise. She is usually at camp for a few hours each day but with us more of the time. I feel the Camp for kids is like the shows or entertainment for adults. I don't tip the band or the show singers as they are not part of the tip compensated crew.

Before I get blasted we always tip extra the dining room team, stateroom attendant,favorite bartenders, shuttle drivers and baggage handlers so it isn't a matter of being cheap.

 

I agree with you. It's not a customarily tipped position, which is why almost nobody tips them - as expected.

 

Cruise lines provide tip guidance. There is a reason you don't get a DSC or any sort of guidance for tipping Camp staff - because it's not a tipped position. You better believe Carnival would let you know exactly how much you should tip if it were a tipped position. In fact, they would probably just charge it to your account automatically. If someone feels compelled to tip, by all means, but this is one where nobody should feel uncomfortable or bad for failing to tip .

[hirent]

And the meals are NOT like what you get. The crew occasionally gets the left over food items that passengers don't consume and consider that a treat such as left over chocolate melting cake which by that time is no longer melting.

 

Where did you get this?

Maybe they don't get the 'fancy' meals that customers get in the MDR, but on a 'Behind the Fun' tour, we were showed the staff dining area. It was not meal time so no food, but it had plenty of spaces for food trays. Plus their meals are on a 30-day rotating basis, meaning they don't get the same meal for at least a month. At least that is what we were told.

May be what you were told refers to staff getting some of the leftovers that are not eaten by the passengers.

 

And of course the staff meals are not going to be individualized. It will almost always be buffets. They do have desserts but it won't be anything like individual bowls or plates. And why would it? Even paying customers don't get that in the buffets, only trays laid out with individual dessert servings. There is no WCMC in the buffet for paying customers either.

I'm guessing the staff buffet isn't much worse than the passenger buffet food.

 

Comment on the original point and other posts:

I think work hours are regulated and shifts cannot last more than 8 hours each. The 80 hours per week comment is true though.

On the other hand, no expenses whatsoever. No rent, no utilities, and no food expenses. If you are frugal you can bank your entire salary.

We can keep debating the low wages till the cows come home. But making $1500-$2000/month with no bills to pay isn't the worst job in the world. I didn't make that much in grad school and had rent & bills to pay.

 

If you are smart and save your money, you can come out with potentially $20,000 or more in a year.

[torcruise]

I tip $0 for camp. I only tip for the paid night nursery the 15% they require. My daughter goes to daycare and camp in the summer on land and I never tip camp counselors or day care staff, because I believe they are paid workers not tipped workers.

Edited February 12, 2018 by torcruise

[bobandsherry]

Where did you get this?

Maybe they don't get the 'fancy' meals that customers get in the MDR, but on a 'Behind the Fun' tour, we were showed the staff dining area. It was not meal time so no food, but it had plenty of spaces for food trays. Plus their meals are on a 30-day rotating basis, meaning they don't get the same meal for at least a month. At least that is what we were told.

 

Daughter worked on Carnival ships for a year after college for the experience. I also had opportunity to see first hand by spending time in crew quarters while on ship for visit. So I'm much more knowledgeable than someone who did a Behind the Scenes tour.

 

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[hirent]

Daughter worked on Carnival ships for a year after college for the experience. I also had opportunity to see first hand by spending time in crew quarters while on ship for visit. So I'm much more knowledgeable than someone who did a Behind the Scenes tour.

 

Can't argue against that kind of first-hand experience.

 

So is any of the information they told us true?

Does the staff menu rotate on a 30-day basis? How about choices & variety?

Did your daughter or other staff receive minimum wage according to the federal law or state law, (since Florida is higher)?

Did she find a big quality difference in the staff food vs. passenger food?

We were told shifts are max of 8 hours: True or False?

 

Just curious. Would appreciate it if you could answer at your convenience.

Thanks.

Edited February 13, 2018 by hirent

[evandbob]

Cruise Critic had a recent article on "who NOT to tip" on a cruise ship and they included camp counselors in their list.

[brookeq]

We never tipped when our kids were in the kids club. I'm curious though, those that do tip $10-20... Do you give that much to every counsellor that watched your child? Because over the course of a week, there was always something like 6 to 10 counsellors that watched my kids.

 

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That is my questions. do you tip each counselor? Only favorites?

[nealstuber]

We tip above what’s charged to our S&S for exceptional service we and when our kids were younger and used the camps if they talked about how nice a certain counselor(s) was we would tip them, if they couldn’t name them or at least point them out to us, then we gathered that the service was not exceptional and did not tip.

 

 

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[MoniMommy]

I prefer to tip in cash. Who do you tip? There are usually several camp counselors.

[loxley]

Can't argue against that kind of first-hand experience.

 

So is any of the information they told us true?

Does the staff menu rotate on a 30-day basis? How about choices & variety?

Did your daughter or other staff receive minimum wage according to the federal law or state law, (since Florida is higher)?

Did she find a big quality difference in the staff food vs. passenger food?

We were told shifts are max of 8 hours: True or False?

 

Just curious. Would appreciate it if you could answer at your convenience.

Thanks.

John did a video of the crew dining. He said 30 day rotation menu. There were lots of choices. You might be able to find the video on his FB page, or maybe just ask him to repost it.

 

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[famof4togo]

I tip any counselor who goes above and beyond with my child specifically....the one he knows by name...the one he high fives as he arrives, or hugs as he leaves...its easy to tell who goes above and beyond and deserves a little extra etc....