Ideas for Christmas Gift for Crew Members

[LD Silver]

3 hours ago, LrgPizza said:

While you might believe your intentions are good, you are actually being very selfish here. You are not thinking about the crew, but rather about yourself, and hoping to make yourself stand out, be remembered, and set yourself apart from other passengers, If your head and heart is in the right place, then you would give cash.  It's not about your need to feel special, but about their needs.

 

Perhaps the most pompous post of the year.

Edited November 29, 2018 by LD Silver

[roger001]

36 minutes ago, LD Silver said:

 

Perhaps the most pompous post of the year.

Yes.    

[njkate]

I've given this some thought and have to agree with other posters that cash in a nice card, but you said "other than money" so I'm at a loss of an inexpensive item, of which you didn't state how much, you could give that may just be tossed in the garbage when the crew returns to their cabin. Maybe just tip them more than you normally would.

[pcakes122]

On 11/25/2018 at 8:39 AM, xcell said:

Cash is king but what I noticed is that they have to pay (full price on board) for their toiletries, so cash and maybe toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, some advil/tylenol, a lotion?  

Where did you notice this?  Actually curious since my sister & Norwegian brother-in-law worked onboard for NCL many years ago and even back in those days the crew had their own store that carried essentials at very cheap prices.  Wondering if this truly has changed?

 

I also agree with others that say cash is the best gift (after a Hero card.)  The only time I ever gave an actual "gift" to a crew member was to a room steward (female) that complimented a perfume I was wearing.  I had some OBC so I purchased her a bottle as a "goodbye" gift and gave it to her with her tip.  But I only did that because I knew it was something she personally would like.  Oh wait - one more.  On one cruise I was crocheting newborn hats for charity and one of the crew electricians was working on an issue in my cabin.  He made a comment about the stack of little hats and I asked him if he had children.  He mentioned his sister was pregnant and due in a few months, so I gave him a little hat for her baby (I let him pick which one he liked best .)  

[fridaythe13th]

International calling card.

[mking8288]

On our last Escape cruise, they actually ran out/very low on those blank Vacation Hero cards on the last 2 days ... passengers must've felt the crew was doing everything right, going above & beyond, and/or otherwise just filling them out.  One of our "regular" dining room wait staff said it translated into time off, a "whole" day off, especially invaluable when it's full day at the port - they loved NYC (more so than Florida ... mass transit is super easy to get around.)  And, supposingly, they have a "crew" store - walking distance from MCT - that stock all sorts of hometown stuff that they buy & bring back into their tiny shared quarters.  

 

Just, perhaps, equally as good & easy for us to carry ... are those prepaid Visa (or, similar) gifted debit cards (not soon to expire,) used as ready cash in USD, if you don't want to carry loads of green bucks.  They can shop & buy, use it for what not ... much less "restricting" than Starbucks, Dunkins, iTunes/Google or Target/Walmart gift cards with stored values. 

[April42749]

1 hour ago, mking8288 said:

On our last Escape cruise, they actually ran out/very low on those blank Vacation Hero cards on the last 2 days ... passengers must've felt the crew was doing everything right, going above & beyond, and/or otherwise just filling them out.  One of our "regular" dining room wait staff said it translated into time off, a "whole" day off, especially invaluable when it's full day at the port - they loved NYC (more so than Florida ... mass transit is super easy to get around.)  And, supposingly, they have a "crew" store - walking distance from MCT - that stock all sorts of hometown stuff that they buy & bring back into their tiny shared quarters.  

 

Just, perhaps, equally as good & easy for us to carry ... are those prepaid Visa (or, similar) gifted debit cards (not soon to expire,) used as ready cash in USD, if you don't want to carry loads of green bucks.  They can shop & buy, use it for what not ... much less "restricting" than Starbucks, Dunkins, iTunes/Google or Target/Walmart gift cards with stored values. 

Just a note, but on the Escape the crew doesn't share quarters.  They each have a tiny cabin, but they share bathrooms.

[MusterDrill55]

Cash. They don't want your tchotchkes.  

[victory2020]

I usually bring nuts & candy which are greatly appreciated. And yes, I used to bring toothbrushes, paste & shampoo because they have to go off ship & spend precious time off to go shopping for essentials. I stopped because now there are stewards of both sexes so it's hard knowing what toiletries to bring.

[MusterDrill55]

I guarantee you they'd prefer cash to nuts and candy. 

[pcakes122]

15 minutes ago, victory2020 said:

And yes, I used to bring toothbrushes, paste & shampoo because they have to go off ship & spend precious time off to go shopping for essentials.

Asking again, is it true now that there is no longer a crew "essentials" store (with reasonable prices?)  When did NCL do away with that?

 

Just wondering if people are making this stuff up or if NCL has really eliminated benefits like this for employees.  If they have, that matters to me.

[victory2020]

24 minutes ago, pcakes122 said:

Asking again, is it true now that there is no longer a crew "essentials" store (with reasonable prices?)  When did NCL do away with that?

 

Just wondering if people are making this stuff up or if NCL has really eliminated benefits like this for employees.  If they have, that matters to me.

I'm not sure if they do or not(I do know they have a bar with cheap booze). I talk & listen to crew members - this is why I bring goodies for them. 

[NW Pacific]

 Live in a town where cruise ships stop.  I see cruise staff at Costco loading up on chocolates.  I mean buying boxes of the Ferraro (or something like that) they are little pieces wrapped in gold tin foil that come in a see through box.  So much so, one time I asked at a cocktail time with Officers, what's the deal with chocolate buying by your cruise ??   they and their families love it!!  so I would suggest cash and a box of nice chocolates.

[OCruisers]

Bottom Line:  Giving them something else may make YOU feel good .... but what THEY would appreciate most is MONEY!  

[xcell]

best place to regift...

[LrgPizza]

9 hours ago, OCruisers said:

Bottom Line:  Giving them something else may make YOU feel good .... but what THEY would appreciate most is MONEY!  

 

Thank you. That's exactly what I was saying, but not as succinctly, and I was called pompous.  🙄

 

I should have suggested giving the crew member a puppy. 

[mjkacmom]

Once my kids got to a certain age, when they were invited to birthday parties, my go to gift was a gift card, or a $20. I’d buy a candy bar to go with it. Would a crew member prefer just a $20, or a $20 with some chocolate?

[anthonyg1996]

Cash and a tip 

[ColeThornton]

I guess I just don't understand giving candy and actually any gift to grown adults who are being paid to do a job.  Sure, they are away from home a lot but lots of professions are.   Military, truck drivers, airline employees, waiters and waitresses working doubles to get through college, etc.   Do you go out of your way to get them gifts?

 

It puzzles me.

[mjkacmom]

1 hour ago, ColeThornton said:

I guess I just don't understand giving candy and actually any gift to grown adults who are being paid to do a job.  Sure, they are away from home a lot but lots of professions are.   Military, truck drivers, airline employees, waiters and waitresses working doubles to get through college, etc.   Do you go out of your way to get them gifts?

 

It puzzles me.

I give gifts to teachers, crossing guards, hair stylist, and if my favorite waiter was a college student, I’d definitely add some chocolate to the tip (up until a few months ago my oldest paid room and board by waitressing).

[LrgPizza]

Am I the only one that hates chocolate? I'd throw it away.

 

I still say you should give them a puppy.

[Peachypooh]

Cash. And telling your room steward a couple of times a cruise he can skip making up

your room if you really don't need him/her to do it.

[mjkacmom]

2 hours ago, LrgPizza said:

Am I the only one that hates chocolate? I'd throw it away.

 

I still say you should give them a puppy.

You would throw it away instead of giving it to someone who would enjoy it? Especially something that most people enjoy?

[pcakes122]

11 hours ago, mjkacmom said:

I give gifts to teachers, crossing guards, hair stylist...

I give cash or gift cards to all those folks, but I don't give "gifts" such as chocolate, etc.

 

It may just be me, but I think of those type of gifts as almost demeaning or insulting.  Just because someone's first language is not English or they do a physical job doesn't mean that they are "lesser" in ANY way and are in need of trinkets and chocolates (or sympathy.)  In fact, many NCL crew members that I have met are VERY well-educated (college and/or professional degrees) and have weighed the benefits/salary of working onboard a cruise ship against what their trained profession pays in their country.  Many do it just for a few years to save up money to buy a home, send a child to university or fund another large expenditure.  They ABSOLUTELY deserve recognition for outstanding work, but in the form of additional compensation - not tchotchkes or trinkets or candy.  I think many well-meaning folks have somewhat of an unconscious bias when they encounter waitstaff or room stewards who don't speak English as a first language.  They are not being held against their will as indentured servants.  As someone above mentioned, they are grown, responsible, intelligent adults who consciously and deliberately and after careful consideration accepted a job that required them to be away from home for a substantial time.  They made that choice because it was worth it to them, for whatever their personal reason may be.  Many other professions do the same.   My guess is that part of what may have factored into their decision to work onboard a ship is that they know that, in addition to a (relatively) good salary, the opportunity for additional cash tips can make it an even more lucrative proposition.

 

But maybe I'm all wrong.  They may just be doing it for Costco chocolates.  

 

 

[mjkacmom]

11 hours ago, pcakes122 said:

I give cash or gift cards to all those folks, but I don't give "gifts" such as chocolate, etc.

 

It may just be me, but I think of those type of gifts as almost demeaning or insulting.  Just because someone's first language is not English or they do a physical job doesn't mean that they are "lesser" in ANY way and are in need of trinkets and chocolates (or sympathy.)  In fact, many NCL crew members that I have met are VERY well-educated (college and/or professional degrees) and have weighed the benefits/salary of working onboard a cruise ship against what their trained profession pays in their country.  Many do it just for a few years to save up money to buy a home, send a child to university or fund another large expenditure.  They ABSOLUTELY deserve recognition for outstanding work, but in the form of additional compensation - not tchotchkes or trinkets or candy.  I think many well-meaning folks have somewhat of an unconscious bias when they encounter waitstaff or room stewards who don't speak English as a first language.  They are not being held against their will as indentured servants.  As someone above mentioned, they are grown, responsible, intelligent adults who consciously and deliberately and after careful consideration accepted a job that required them to be away from home for a substantial time.  They made that choice because it was worth it to them, for whatever their personal reason may be.  Many other professions do the same.   My guess is that part of what may have factored into their decision to work onboard a ship is that they know that, in addition to a (relatively) good salary, the opportunity for additional cash tips can make it an even more lucrative proposition.

 

But maybe I'm all wrong.  They may just be doing it for Costco chocolates.  

 

 

To each his own, but as someone with a post graduate degree, if someone wants to add some chocolate (or wine) to the gift card or cash they are giving me, I’m not going to be insulted.