Do you tip extra? Who? When? How? How much?

[pingpong1]

16 hours ago, tmartois said:

If you say gave your room steward or butler like $30-40 extra on the first day do you think you would get “better” service?   We always just prepay all the tips but this is our first PH suite.   I want it to be an amazing experience for my wife and I.  

Just curious, here....What if it turns out to NOT be an "amazing experience"?  What would your recourse be?  Are you thinking that providing an "extra tip" (a "bribe" as some have called it), which is over and above what has already been stipulated/collected by O before or at the end of the cruise, will make a marked difference between your cruise experience being "amazing" or "just average"?

[bitob]

Our butler once told us that butlers are "offended" if they get tips at the beginning.

First, they are not "bribable."  They are going to give great service anyway.  That is their mission.

Second, it sets up unreasonable exceptions -- eg that they can get you a reservation at a specific time in a specific restaurant and it's sometimes just not doable.

 

Better to tip at the end if warranted.

 

While we sometimes bring little gifts from shore for our stewardess, those gifts are not in lieu of a tip.  Cash is king.

 

I second tipping the barista if you are a coffee addict as many of us are -- the most important person on the ship after the captain.

 

 

[Kate-AHF]

19 hours ago, bitob said:

....I second tipping the barista if you are a coffee addict as many of us are -- the most important person on the ship after the captain.

 

 

 

Truer words were never written.  😉

[clo]

21 hours ago, bitob said:

While we sometimes bring little gifts from shore for our stewardess, those gifts are not in lieu of a tip.  Cash is king.

 

What kinds of things would those be?  I think it's a sweet idea but if it's from ports they probably either already have it or don't want it.  For flight attendants, I recently baked a loaf of bread for them and once bought them some French pastries - and that was in Rio not France 🙂

[orchestrapal]

6 minutes ago, clo said:

What kinds of things would those be?  I think it's a sweet idea but if it's from ports they probably either already have it or don't want it.  For flight attendants, I recently baked a loaf of bread for them and once bought them some French pastries - and that was in Rio not France 🙂

 

Cash beats “little gifts” any day. 👍👍

[clo]

2 minutes ago, orchestrapal said:

 

Cash beats “little gifts” any day. 👍👍

S/he said that was not in lieu of cash.

[StanandJim]

52 minutes ago, clo said:

S/he said that was not in lieu of cash.

+1

-but I will point out that is an odd conceit to think that people who have never met us before, who are living in tiny cabins would appreciate a gift over cash.

IMHO the thoughtfulness of gifting should be reserved for the next dinner party 

[clo]

5 minutes ago, StanandJim said:

1

And I'll +1 you also.  I honestly can barely think of anything *I* want in port much less what some who visits there regularly would.  And, as you say, their accommodations aren't spacious.

[LHT28]

4 hours ago, clo said:

For flight attendants, I recently baked a loaf of bread for them and once bought them some French pastries - and that was in Rio not France 🙂

If I was  a FA  I would not be eating  home made goods from strangers 😲

It could be poisoned  ... theses days one  never knows

JMO

[ORV]

47 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

If I was  a FA  I would not be eating  home made goods from strangers 😲

It could be poisoned  ... theses days one  never knows

JMO

I know people that work or have worked in public positions that received home baked foods from well meaning people. In pretty much all instances, unless they knew them well, the treats were thrown away, all the time thanking them profusely for them. Really not a good idea. Just a nice thank you or letting someone know how much you appreciate what they do will work much better. 

[bitob]

6 hours ago, clo said:

What kinds of things would those be?  I think it's a sweet idea but if it's from ports they probably either already have it or don't want it.  For flight attendants, I recently baked a loaf of bread for them and once bought them some French pastries - and that was in Rio not France 🙂

it could be pouches from beautiful fabric, earrings if I notice pierced ears, a shawl or wrap . .

[clo]

30 minutes ago, bitob said:

it could be pouches from beautiful fabric, earrings if I notice pierced ears, a shawl or wrap . .

Again, it sounds very sweet but I won't even buy things like that for our daughters who are in their 40s.  Taste is such a specific thing.  And the things you mention would likely cost over $10, maybe significantly more.  These people are, in most cases that I know of, sending money home to support their family.  Honestly, I'd stick with money.

[Mura]

2 hours ago, ORV said:

I know people that work or have worked in public positions that received home baked foods from well meaning people. In pretty much all instances, unless they knew them well, the treats were thrown away, all the time thanking them profusely for them. Really not a good idea. Just a nice thank you or letting someone know how much you appreciate what they do will work much better. 

It doesn't have to be matter of poison ... (I remember trick or treating as a child in the '50s and we never worried about what people gave us, but then there came the episodes of razor blades in apples and candy, so now ...)

 

Anyway, if you don't know the kitchen involved, there could be plenty of problems ... eColi comes to mind.   No one here would think of deliberately putting a dangerous item in baked goods, but the recipient who doesn't know you wouldn't necessarily know that.

 

A year or so ago a neighbor asked me to contribute a baked item to a USO event where they were selling pieces of cake, etc.  She told me that one man bought a slice of my zucchini bread ... and shortly thereafter came back and bought the whole thing!  But I doubt he'd have come to my house and asked me to bake a cake ...

 

All these comments make me wonder about bake sales and the like ...

 

Back on topic:  I also agree that cash is the best thing.  I can understand that many people would like to ""personalize" a gift to a crew member, but I don't think it's very practical for them.  Money is smaller and easier to use!

 

Mura

 

Edited July 3, 2019 by Mura

[clo]

30 minutes ago, Mura said:

All these comments make me wonder about bake sales and the like ...

 

I honestly never considered that.  But seems like most ate it.  But I'm glad this came up.  I won't do it again.

 

[LHT28]

36 minutes ago, Mura said:

All these comments make me wonder about bake sales and the like ...

 

 

I gave up on buying things at bake sales as I do not know how cleanly the kitchens or bakers are  😲

[bitob]

23 hours ago, clo said:

What kinds of things would those be?  I think it's a sweet idea but if it's from ports they probably either already have it or don't want it.  For flight attendants, I recently baked a loaf of bread for them and once bought them some French pastries - and that was in Rio not France 🙂

 

deleted

Edited July 4, 2019 by bitob

[bitob]

16 hours ago, clo said:

Again, it sounds very sweet but I won't even buy things like that for our daughters who are in their 40s.  Taste is such a specific thing.  And the things you mention would likely cost over $10, maybe significantly more.  These people are, in most cases that I know of, sending money home to support their family.  Honestly, I'd stick with money.

 

I give them money too.

Money is easy to give and requires little thought

My experience is that the stewardesses love it when you "think of them" when in port.

My choice.  Feel free to do what you think is right for you.

 

On a recent Crystal cruise I had the most fabulous server who just got to know us and our likes and dislikes.  She worked the buffet and one of the specialties.  We made sure to sit in her section.  She was personality plus.   I noticed she wore studs with different colored stones.  At one port in Mexico I found a pair of silver studs with gorgeous blue stones -- almost the color of her eyes - and I bought them for her.  She was blown away and showed everyone what we bought her.  Do not underestimate the value of a thoughtful gift.

Edited July 4, 2019 by bitob

[Hawaiidan]

On 2/17/2019 at 6:19 AM, Noxequifans said:

Tip in US$ at the end of the trip for the butler, stewardess and assistant. Amount varies according to service received.

Since the  currency of the ship is USD    I would tip in dollars no matter where.   I assume  staff is paid in USD too.

[Hawaiidan]

20 hours ago, LHT28 said:

If I was  a FA  I would not be eating  home made goods from strangers 😲

It could be poisoned  ... theses days one  never knows

JMO

How  would you even get food ...homemade food  through a security check?     You can  not even get a sanwitch through........   if you could. I can see  maybe  Granny ISIS 's  SEMEX muffins with a C-4 frosting.........   Have a Muffin my pretty !

Edited July 4, 2019 by Hawaiidan

[Hawaiidan]

On 7/1/2019 at 5:22 PM, tmartois said:

If you say gave your room steward or butler like $30-40 extra on the first day do you think you would get “better” service?   We always just prepay all the tips but this is our first PH suite.   I want it to be an amazing experience for my wife and I.  

Actualy   that would be better applied to the bartender  with whom you may have much more contact  I may only see my stewards less than 30 min a week

[keithm]

On ‎2‎/‎16‎/‎2019 at 10:46 PM, Kingofcool1947 said:

Do you tip extra?  

Who?

When ?

How?   Cash, or cash in a envelope?

How much?

Thanks.

King

An old post..but sure, why not?

1) Yes, we do.

2) The cabin attendants. Perhaps a server we might have for a number of dinners in the GDR. We've started being seated in specific areas of the GDR to have the same staff.

3) Always at the end of the cruise. Not a fan of this "bribe ahead of time" I've heard of lately.

4) Cash in an envelope.

5) We base on the "Berlitz Guide to cruise ships & cruising" which can be found in any good bookstore in the travel section.

 

[Kingofcool1947]

12 minutes ago, keithm said:

An old post..but sure, why not?

1) Yes, we do.

2) The cabin attendants. Perhaps a server we might have for a number of dinners in the GDR. We've started being seated in specific areas of the GDR to have the same staff.

3) Always at the end of the cruise. Not a fan of this "bribe ahead of time" I've heard of lately.

4) Cash in an envelope.

5) We base on the "Berlitz Guide to cruise ships & cruising" which can be found in any good bookstore in the travel section.

 

Thank you!  

That’s what I did on a recent Regatta sailing from San Francisco>Alaska>Vancouver.  Tipped extra to stateroom steward, in USD, in envelope..  I wish Oceania would have more sailings from San Francisco or So. California.  😁

Edited July 13, 2019 by Kingofcool1947

[clo]

Does every, non-officer, employee share in the gratuities?  Equally?  Or do some, possibly the maintenance and others who don't really interact with passengers, get salaries? Just curious.

[Mura]

Clo, I have no idea who partakes in our gratuities or what percentage each crew member receives.  I doubt that officers are participants.  But what  do I know????

 

I'm just commenting now because this is SUCH a common question.  The thing is, no one can tell you "how much" you should tip.  I'm not the first one to say this either, but it seems to need repetition.

 

It depends on the service you received, what you expected them to do, etc.

 

When we had a cocktail party in our suite on our November 2017 cruise we tipped our butler quite a lot because he did so much for us -- setting up the hors d'oeuvres, collecting the drinks, and cleaning up afterwards.  This was beyond the norm for us.  Usually we just ask the butler (when we have one) to make some dinner reservations (when we haven't been able to do so ourselves) or serving dinner when we dine en suite.  That's usually the most we ask of him.

 

There just aren't any rules for HOW MUCH anyone should tip.  We haven't tipped extra in the past when we didn't ask for any special services ...

 

Do people feel guilty because they might be considered to "under" tip?  I don't think they should.  Some crew members are more efficient and helpful than others.  Tip them as YOU think appropriate.

 

Mura

 

[clo]

1 minute ago, Mura said:

I have no idea who partakes in our gratuities or what percentage each crew member receives.  I doubt that officers are participants.

Mura, I honestly wasn't discussing over/under tipping, etc.  I just don't know how it all breaks out.  A pure curiosity question that I've never thought of before.