Gratuities for children

[nzeeter]

We booked a cruise with Royal Caribbean with our family members. Some are bringing toddlers (ages 3 & 4). We asked about prepaying gratuities and Royal said they will charge the same for children as adults. Sounds a bit odd to me, but maybe I'm wrong. Any advice on this would be appreciated.

[sloopsailor]

 

 

 

We booked a cruise with Royal Caribbean with our family members. Some are bringing toddlers (ages 3 & 4). We asked about prepaying gratuities and Royal said they will charge the same for children as adults. Sounds a bit odd to me, but maybe I'm wrong. Any advice on this would be appreciated.

 

Toddlers are even harder to clean up after than adults. Any parent knows that. The crew deserves full gratuities for all guests - adults and children.

[leaveitallbehind]

 

 

 

 

 

We booked a cruise with Royal Caribbean with our family members. Some are bringing toddlers (ages 3 & 4). We asked about prepaying gratuities and Royal said they will charge the same for children as adults. Sounds a bit odd to me, but maybe I'm wrong. Any advice on this would be appreciated.

 

All cruise lines that I am aware of - including RCI - charge the same gratuity for children as they do for adults. Gratuities are based on the total number of passengers in each stateroom - and are not differentiated by age. It is not at all odd as it takes the same amount of effort for a stateroom attendant to clean up after a child as it does an adult - and likely more. Same with the wait staff serving food in the restaurant.

 

My advice would be to accept that as the policy and budget accordingly. :)

[Langley Cruisers]

I am absolutely positive you will find the staff and crew will love the little ones and make a big fuss over them. They are great with kids. :) Indeed the gratuities are the same per person as each passenger is just that and not separated by age. It is fair and appropriate to pay gratuities for every member of your party, regardless of their age. The crew and staff work so hard, and I'm sure you will love your RCI experience. (y)

 

Have fun!

[MoxieDoll66]

When our kids were little, we actually tipped more than the auto grats. We always gave our steward $50 when they introduced themselves on embarkation day and usually another $25 at debarkation on top of the prepaid tips.

 

Kids are just messy and they bring a lot more stuff that has to be neatened up (toys, extra bunks or cribs, they splash water everywhere when they brush their teeth).

[fishywood]

All cruise lines that I am aware of - including RCI - charge the same gratuity for children as they do for adults. Gratuities are based on the total number of passengers in each stateroom - and are not differentiated by age. It is not at all odd as it takes the same amount of effort for a stateroom attendant to clean up after a child as it does an adult - and likely more. Same with the wait staff serving food in the restaurant.

 

My advice would be to accept that as the policy and budget accordingly. :)

 

Some cruise lines based in the UK or Northern Europe either do not assess the daily gratuity for infants and toddlers, or assess a lower amount for children under a certain age--or a combination of both. But the remainder of your post is spot on, the crew works just as hard--if not harder--for little ones.

[VillaHappy]

Your post is bringing back "sticker shock" - which is what we experienced when we first traveled as a family on a cruise way back in 2008. I was as shocked as you were regarding the pricing, because in many areas of life, the cost for kids is less than the cost for adults. But we got used to the pricing fairly quickly, and haven't looked back since. Until now...

 

Sure, kids make messes. But I don't think they make double the work. Look at it this way, as a cabin steward, if you are assigned 10 rooms and each has a family of four in it, you would make DOUBLE the tips that another cabin steward would make if all of his 10 cabins only had couples in it. Yes, there are extra towels to hang, and an extra bed to make up and tear down. However, the square footage of carpet to vacuum is the same. I can't imagine it would take you twice the amount of time to clean up the cabin's bathroom? Am I missing something?

[SPacificbound]

I your daily life you probably have noted that there is more cleaning up to do for your little ones than for yourself.

 

Enjoy your cruise.

[fishywood]

Sure, kids make messes. But I don't think they make double the work.

 

They don't. Two parents + two kids is easily triple the work. Or quadruple. You indeed have exceptionally low maintenance children if you can say otherwise.

 

Look at it this way, as a cabin steward, if you are assigned 10 rooms and each has a family of four in it, you would make DOUBLE the tips that another cabin steward would make if all of his 10 cabins only had couples in it. Yes, there are extra towels to hang, and an extra bed to make up and tear down. However, the square footage of carpet to vacuum is the same. I can't imagine it would take you twice the amount of time to clean up the cabin's bathroom? Am I missing something?

 

You appear to be missing the fact that the tipping pool includes substantially more persons than your cabin steward. Even if you don't believe that the work for your steward increases exponentially rather than merely proportionately when children enter the mix, it sure has heck does for the dining room staff.

[cb at sea]

Each "soul" pays tips...and your kids are "souls". Yep...it's common.

[DukeASUGirl]

Sure, kids make messes. But I don't think they make double the work. ... I can't imagine it would take you twice the amount of time to clean up the cabin's bathroom? Am I missing something?

 

It doesn't take twice the amount of time to clean up after children -- it takes triple or quadruple. I've pretty much learned to accept my house will be a mess until my kids are older (or we break down and get a cleaning service) bc I just don't have triple or quadruple the amount of time to clean.

[sloopsailor]

Am I missing something?

 

Clearly you are.

 

Instead of graciously accepting the advice you asked for, you are arguing that everyone else is wrong and you shouldn't have to pay what everyone is telling you is fair and reasonable. .

[OCruisers]

I your daily life you probably have noted that there is more cleaning up to do for your little ones than for yourself.

 

Enjoy your cruise.

 

So true! Agree with the above! (y)

[davekathy]

We booked a cruise with Royal Caribbean with our family members. Some are bringing toddlers (ages 3 & 4). We asked about prepaying gratuities and Royal said they will charge the same for children as adults. Sounds a bit odd to me, but maybe I'm wrong. Any advice on this would be appreciated.

As they should be. Budget for it and consider all gratuities part of the cruise fare. Enjoy your cruise.

[Ashland]

When our little's use the Nursery or Adventure Ocean we tip also....something you might want to take into consideration as well if your on a budget.

[sloopsailor]

Am I missing something?

Clearly you are.

 

Instead of graciously accepting the advice you asked for, you are arguing that everyone else is wrong and you shouldn't have to pay what everyone is telling you is fair and reasonable. .

 

Sorry, but I got two posters mixed up in my reply. It was nzeeter who started this thread, not VillaHappy. Morphing the two posters together I responded as if the same person posted both comments questioning the need to pay full gratuities for children. Clearly, it was I who was "missing something". :o

 

Still, my comment stands - listen to what everyone else is advising and budget to pay gratuities for all occupants without complaint. It's the right thing to do.

[nzeeter]

Thanks for all the replies. But just to clear things up, I'm not the one bringing kids, my family is. I was just curious to see what the general feeling was. Seems most replies are fine with it.

 

If I were bringing kids I would do what is customary and pay the gratuity. But honestly it still seems odd to me.

 

I think it all balances out. I mean, some couples will be messier than some families and vice versa. I had a friend who drank a bit too much on a cruise and let's just say his cabin attendant was wishing he was picking up toys. OK, I know, TMI

 

But I really do appreciate all the responses. And if I hear any of my family members questioning it, I will pass on the advice.

[CruiseGal999]

Your post is bringing back "sticker shock" - which is what we experienced when we first traveled as a family on a cruise way back in 2008. I was as shocked as you were regarding the pricing, because in many areas of life, the cost for kids is less than the cost for adults. But we got used to the pricing fairly quickly, and haven't looked back since. Until now...

 

Sure, kids make messes. But I don't think they make double the work. Look at it this way, as a cabin steward, if you are assigned 10 rooms and each has a family of four in it, you would make DOUBLE the tips that another cabin steward would make if all of his 10 cabins only had couples in it. Yes, there are extra towels to hang, and an extra bed to make up and tear down. However, the square footage of carpet to vacuum is the same. I can't imagine it would take you twice the amount of time to clean up the cabin's bathroom? Am I missing something?

 

You are missing a lot of things. Kids throw up, spill drinks and drop crumbs. Toys & accoutrements all over the place. Towels aren't the only thing picked up and replaced in the cabin.

 

FYI ... I don't have children. Never had to travel with them. But I have observed them on all of my (few) cruises. They're kids ... they spill and drop or throw food or take off their own diapers and drop them where they stand.

[MicCanberra]

The cruise lines all charge gratuities or service charge per person regardless of age, just a part of cruising. We budget accordingly.

[gerelmx]

No matter how old the passenger will always be charged the same

[spookwife]

We booked a cruise with Royal Caribbean with our family members. Some are bringing toddlers (ages 3 & 4). We asked about prepaying gratuities and Royal said they will charge the same for children as adults. Sounds a bit odd to me, but maybe I'm wrong. Any advice on this would be appreciated.

 

 

everyone regardless of age is charged the same amount per day. very few lines charge less or nothing for children.

[Super-Luke88]

Just remove or lower the gratuities if you're not happy. Its not against the rules.