Not your usual tipping question

[misprint]

I have read on other threads that some cruisers tip at the beginning of their cruise to ensure good service. This may be as well as either auto gratuities or tipping at the end in an envelope.

 

If you do tip at the beginning, either to your favourite waiter, your cabin steward or indeed anyone else that you are hoping will look after you especially well does that person then have to put that money in the pot with the auto grats.

[CruiseGal999]

Just do a search ... it's been covered and discussed and speculated. Bottom line ... no one knows for certain what exactly the employees get to keep for 'tips'.

 

All I do know ... IF you keep your daily DSC/Gratuities/whatever the cruise line wants to call it ... on your account every day and PAY it ... that is ALL you HAVE to pay. Any/all drinks at the bar have gratuities automatically added to the total cost of the drink ON the receipt.

But room steward, Maitre D, Head Waiter, Asst. Waiter, and behind the scene employees (laundry, etc.) are covered if you just pay your daily grats.

 

IF you order room service, it's been said to tip these employees a couple of dollars per delivery. Whether they keep it or put into the pool, no one knows.

[U&R from CH]

On Oceania cruises very high gratuities are charged to your account if you have not yet achieved a certain number of cruises with them. As soon as you reach a certain status of "frequent traveler", you don't have to pay for gratuities. So where does that leave the crew? It would seem that they get gratuities only from infrequent travelers. I believe that in this case the crew have their fixed income and the charged gratuities are just an increase of price. Does anyone know more about this?

[misprint]

I do always leave the auto grats on and have given extra at the end for exceptional service but have read recently about staff having to add these extras to the ‘pool’. I would feel frustrated if I was giving extra for this to then go into the pot to subsidise the people who do not tip at all.

 

As a Brit I don’t feel the need to tip up front to ensure good service, a tip is given as a reward for good service.

[Beanb41]

Be discreet when passing on tips to crew members, so discreet in fact that you may not even be acknowledged until it is safely hidden away in the pocket. What the eyes don't see the heart doesn't grieve about. I shouldn't need to say anymore. The quality of staff on board Celebrity ships is such that one doesn't need to tip at the start of a cruise to get great service

[dkjretired]

FYI, many crew members consider it an insult to be tipped at the beginning of the cruise. They will definitely take the money but as I said some are personal insulted.

[MJSailors]

Recently on th Summit, I asked the gentleman at the passenger services desk if cash tips to the staff are kept by the staff er or put in a pool for the staff to share.

He confirmed that the individual gets to keep the tip.

[jelayne]

Recently on th Summit, I asked the gentleman at the passenger services desk if cash tips to the staff are kept by the staff er or put in a pool for the staff to share.

He confirmed that the individual gets to keep the tip.

 

That may be true for some positions but at the bars I have consistently seen the bartenders put cash tips in a jar. Since most bars have 2 or more bartenders and 1 tip jar seems to me the tips are shared.

[Orator]

FYI, many crew members consider it an insult to be tipped at the beginning of the cruise. They will definitely take the money but as I said some are personal insulted.

Very true! They feel that the passengers just doesn't trust them to do a good job unless they receive a bribe. A pleasant "Thank you" works wonders.

[mmsJack]

I've also been told by the customer service desk on board that while the auto grats are shared, cash tips can be kept by the individual crew member being tipped making the cash tips more valuable to the crew.

 

I've also been told that in some places - bars for instance, the crew chooses to pool cash tips during a shift since that's more of a team-centered area and you may but may not always have the same server or bartender wait on you. This is very similar to bars in the US I suppose?

 

True or not - no idea. Seems reasonable to me but sometimes on this forum there's a lot of conspiracy theories...

[sydsmom2034]

My husband (who I met on a cruise and later married:) ) worked in the bars. He said all the waiters appreciate tips in cash, because yes, they get to keep them.

[Orator]

On Oceania cruises very high gratuities are charged to your account if you have not yet achieved a certain number of cruises with them. As soon as you reach a certain status of "frequent traveler", you don't have to pay for gratuities. So where does that leave the crew? It would seem that they get gratuities only from infrequent travelers. I believe that in this case the crew have their fixed income and the charged gratuities are just an increase of price. Does anyone know more about this?

Post this on the Oceania board as it really doesn't apply to Celebrity.

[misterkevin]

FYI, many crew members consider it an insult to be tipped at the beginning of the cruise. They will definitely take the money but as I said some are personal insulted.

 

 

 

I have always included an embarkation gift like chocolates and an extra tip to my cabin steward with a thanks in advance note asking to keep my ice bucket filled. I also keep my prepaid tips on my account.

 

I have always gotten great service from my cabin attendants. I don't know who would be insulted to get more money from passengers as a gratuity. That's what they work for! I've never experienced this.

[Orator]

I have always included an embarkation gift like chocolates and an extra tip to my cabin steward with a thanks in advance note asking to keep my ice bucket filled. I also keep my prepaid tips on my account.

 

I have always gotten great service from my cabin attendants. I don't know who would be insulted to get more money from passengers as a gratuity. That's what they work for! I've never experienced this.

If you are close to some Crew, just talk to them.

[Mike981]

I have read many times, mentioning wait on upgrading your drink package until you are on board and doing so with a bartender/bar that you really like. Because then bartender gets to keep the 18% gratuity and you will get better service. So is that money not pooled, or does it go right to their account?

[Denny01]

I’m afraid this was a common tipping question....Tipping is of course an individual choice. The auto-gratuities and what is added to the various orders suffices.

 

But for me, I tip in situations where a tip isn’t covered by the auto-grats,or part of the service, such as when room service is provided by someone other than my Steward. I also tip the waitstaff during the Elite Lounge drink time. And when I’m using El Bacio for my free coffees, if I’m getting attentive service. I don’t tip every time, but near the end, so I don’t think it gets you better service, since I really don’t see it occuring myself. As stated earlier, when you show appreaciation and interest, it is reciprocated. I don’t use tipping to get better service, but to acknowledge and them for their professionalism.

 

We have seen waitstaff and bartenders on a different X ship and they have recognized us and called us by name......and I don’t think it was due to a few bucks.

 

One funny tip story, a couple we travel with carries Jefferson $2 bills and uses those. More than a few times, the person gets an odd look on their face as if they were given funny-money. Love it.

 

Den

[mattie123]

If you dine in one of the specialty restaurants and want to give an additional gratuity you should leave it in cash on the table. Any cash received is pooled with the service staff in that restaurant. If you ask for a bill and add it to that, it will be pooled with the full ship's wait staff.

[riclop]

I have read on other threads that some cruisers tip at the beginning of their cruise to ensure good service. This may be as well as either auto gratuities or tipping at the end in an envelope.

 

If you do tip at the beginning, either to your favourite waiter, your cabin steward or indeed anyone else that you are hoping will look after you especially well does that person then have to put that money in the pot with the auto grats.

No they don't.

[derekjp47]

Very true! They feel that the passengers just doesn't trust them to do a good job unless they receive a bribe. A pleasant "Thank you" works wonders.

 

We always bring a small gift as a gesture, something like a nice box of chocolates or similar. We enjoy having a friendly relationship with our room steward and wait staff, it makes for a more pleasant experience.

[Nebr.cruiser]

We have never tipped at the beginning of a cruise and always get excellent service. We leave the auto tips on and usually tip our steward extra at the end. Since we use anytime dining, usually don't tip extra there. The only time we did was when we had 7 grandkids along, always sat at the same table, even though it was anytime, and had the most amazing waiters and head waiter who went out of their way to entertain the kids as well as wonderful service.

[ShawninFL]

I do always leave the auto grats on and have given extra at the end for exceptional service but have read recently about staff having to add these extras to the ‘pool’. I would feel frustrated if I was giving extra for this to then go into the pot to subsidise the people who do not tip at all.

 

As a Brit I don’t feel the need to tip up front to ensure good service, a tip is given as a reward for good service.

 

As a US citizen, I fully agree. A tip is earned. Good service is expected and the tip afterwards is the appreciation for the service. However, we always tip the bar staff well on a daily basis over and above the gratuity included. Doing so prevents us from ever having to wait very long for a drink even in the Martini bar when it is packed.

 

We have noticed over the last year or so, that most of the cash tips at the bars are now pooled.

[Beanb41]

I have heard stories of tips being pooled and have yet to get definitive confirmation of such. I can understand that if one adds additional tips on one's account it may get pooled but tips in cash I am not so sure. How we get around this we palm any cash when we shake hand advising out thanks. The receiving hand quickly disappears into the recipients pocket and nothing is seen. If and when we tip our cabin steward we do it in the privacy of our cabin for similar reasons.

 

what a lot of people fail to realise is that a few dollars passed by sleight of hand is not the most important tip one can give. What is most important to staff is a positive report at the end of a cruise and if they have looked after you during a cruise write a positive report and drop it off to Guest Relations. It is these reports that determine promotions and future contracts not a sly $10.

By all means give your favourite staff a couple of bucks but take the time to write a positive report about them.

All positive / negative reports we have written mid cruise have always been acknowledged by the Hotel Director and speaking with the staff we know that these comments are passed on.