Don't tip the cruise director?

[Scootoir]

I received a Cruise Critic email which lead to this article on tipping: https://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=2077

 

The article ends with this quote:  "While we'd very much like to see the look on the captain's face when you slip him $20 at the welcome party, cash-handshakes are not necessary. He will not linger in port or let you steer the ship. The Australian or British cruise director, whose hilarious morning briefings have you believing, once more, in laughter, should also never be the recipient of a tip."

 

Is this correct?  I'll be on my first ocean cruise next month and was surprised to read we don't tip the cruise director.  Trying to figure out what being Australian or British has to do with it.  Any insight will be appreciated.

 

Edited May 22, 2019 by Scootoir

[rkacruiser]

Absolutely don't tip the Cruise Director.  The person is a salaried employee and is not dependent on gratuities.  If you enjoy what he/she does to enhance your cruise, speaking with him/her and thanking them is quite sufficient.  And, probably appreciated, as well.

[cb at sea]

Of course not!   You don't tip the manager of a hotel, or the owner of a restaurant....you don't tip the UPPERS.  Only the server-types.  It is not necessary to tip everyone you come into contact with!

 

The folks you should tip are your cabin attendant, waiters, ass't waiter and maybe the head waiter, if you ever see them and they do anything for you.  Bartenders ADD tips to purchases, so you're covered there.  On all mainstream lines nowadays, they add the tip to your bill daily, if you don't pre-pay it.  That's all you need to do, tip-wise.

[mom says]

There is no requirement to tip anyone, aside from the automatic gratuities.  One doesn't tip a ship's officer, or anyone in a supervisory position, with the possible exception of the Maitre d', if he goes out of his way to fulfil some special request. The Cruise Director is an officer. Their nationality is irrelevant- we've had a couple of very good Canadian and American CDs.  I think that was just a (failed) attempt at humour.

Edited May 22, 2019 by mom says

[Scootoir]

Good to know.  Thank you for responding.

[taglovestocruise]

1 hour ago, Scootoir said:

Good to know.  Thank you for responding.

The cruise director is one of the highest paid on the ship. 

From our friends at Wiki.

One of the top earning positions onboard is that of a cruise director, a position that can command as much as $80,000 per year! Although, the average cruise ship director salary is $50,000 annually. A typical contract is 4 months on 2 months off.

This was from 2015.

[Aplmac]

I tried tipping a politician once.......

D'you know he took the 20!   lol

[paul929207]

No. never tipped a cruise director (or even thought about it).

[ldubs]

OK, thanks for the idea.   I just can't resist.  Next cruise I am definitely going to leave an envelope with a couple of bucks for the captain.   😀😀

[DirtyDawg]

46 minutes ago, ldubs said:

OK, thanks for the idea.   I just can't resist.  Next cruise I am definitely going to leave an envelope with a couple of bucks for the captain.   😀😀

I'm going to see The Rolling Stones in June. If Mick and the boys play well I'll be slipping each a $20. Those UK pensions aren't what they used to be.😭

[DirtyDawg]

As for those Cruise Directors, the best thing you can give most of them is a good joke book. Most of them already have the bad ones!

[Hlitner]

The average salary of a cruise director is about $53,000 in the USA.   Now consider that the average Longshoreman, in the USA, makes more (many top $100,000).  What does all this mean?  I have no idea, but it is interesting.  And just think, many of us tip a Longshoreman $5 to move our luggage 3 or 4 feet.

 

But if I were to tell you that the average cruise ship passenger makes $48,000 a year (I truly just made this up) would you think that the Longshoreman and Cruise Director should both tip the passengers?  After all, it is thanks to the passenger that both of these folks have their job!

 

Hank

[Elaine5715]

6 hours ago, Scootoir said:

I received a Cruise Critic email which lead to this article on tipping: https://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=2077

 

The article ends with this quote:  "While we'd very much like to see the look on the captain's face when you slip him $20 at the welcome party, cash-handshakes are not necessary. He will not linger in port or let you steer the ship. The Australian or British cruise director, whose hilarious morning briefings have you believing, once more, in laughter, should also never be the recipient of a tip."

 

Is this correct?  I'll be on my first ocean cruise next month and was surprised to read we don't tip the cruise director.  Trying to figure out what being Australian or British has to do with it.  Any insight will be appreciated.

 

The joke is that  the funniest Cruise Directors are Australian or British.   

[Krazy Kruizers]

I would never tip the captain or cruise director or anyone that is salaried.  They make decent wages.

[Aplmac]

Unbelievably crass subject matter!

 

Makes me want to tip Warren Buffett and Jeff Bezos

to show them how much extra money I have  to splash around

if you can dig that...............

[capriccio]

I agree with everyone's comments about tipping - or more accurately, not - tipping a cruise director on an ocean cruise.  At least one river cruise line - Viking - provides guidance on how much to tip the program director.  I think other non-inclusive river cruise lines do likewise. 

[chengkp75]

16 hours ago, taglovestocruise said:

The cruise director is one of the highest paid on the ship. 

From our friends at Wiki.

One of the top earning positions onboard is that of a cruise director, a position that can command as much as $80,000 per year! Although, the average cruise ship director salary is $50,000 annually. A typical contract is 4 months on 2 months off.

This was from 2015.

80k would be the top end of the scale, for a very senior CD.  And just remember, if he/she were to wear their uniform, they would be a 3-stripe officer, and there are a good number above that rank, so to say a CD is a "top earner" is a bit disingenuous.

 

In reality, given that most lines have an automatic Daily Service Charge, there is no need to tip anyone onboard.

[ontheweb]

39 minutes ago, chengkp75 said:

80k would be the top end of the scale, for a very senior CD.  And just remember, if he/she were to wear their uniform, they would be a 3-stripe officer, and there are a good number above that rank, so to say a CD is a "top earner" is a bit disingenuous.

 

In reality, given that most lines have an automatic Daily Service Charge, there is no need to tip anyone onboard.

Are you saying we don't need to tip the chief engineer?

[rkacruiser]

20 hours ago, DirtyDawg said:

As for those Cruise Directors, the best thing you can give most of them is a good joke book. Most of them already have the bad ones!

 

I got a chuckle out of your post.  

 

Memorable bad ones (because they were so frequently used by so many CDs):  

"Does this elevator go to the front of the ship?"  "Please eat the Potato Salad in the Lido Restaurant..."  (I forget the rest of the spiel, thankfully.)  Haven't heard those for awhile!😀

[MicCanberra]

On ‎5‎/‎23‎/‎2019 at 7:04 AM, Scootoir said:

I received a Cruise Critic email which lead to this article on tipping: https://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=2077

 

The article ends with this quote:  "While we'd very much like to see the look on the captain's face when you slip him $20 at the welcome party, cash-handshakes are not necessary. He will not linger in port or let you steer the ship. The Australian or British cruise director, whose hilarious morning briefings have you believing, once more, in laughter, should also never be the recipient of a tip."

 

Is this correct?  I'll be on my first ocean cruise next month and was surprised to read we don't tip the cruise director.  Trying to figure out what being Australian or British has to do with it.  Any insight will be appreciated.

 

Australia and Britain do not have a tipping culture. Many do tip when travelling to countries that do have a tipping culture, but also many do not (for whatever their personal reason). The Auto Gratuities on any cruise are sufficient.

[MicCanberra]

19 hours ago, Elaine5715 said:

The joke is that  the funniest Cruise Directors are Australian or British.   

Definitely been the case in my experience.

[nfcu]

I was always led to believe that the so-called "Art Director" was the highest earner on board.

[Zach1213]

20 hours ago, ontheweb said:

Are you saying we don't need to tip the chief engineer?

 

Could explain why I got stopped at the door to the engine room, even when I just had a folded $20 in my palm.

 

Seriously, this tipping thing is getting out of hand.

[ontheweb]

7 hours ago, Zach1213 said:

 

Could explain why I got stopped at the door to the engine room, even when I just had a folded $20 in my palm.

 

Seriously, this tipping thing is getting out of hand.

OK, I was the one who said "Are you saying we don't need to tip the chief engineer?" It was a playful comment quoting  chengkp75 who is a chief engineer.

[Zach1213]

2 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

OK, I was the one who said "Are you saying we don't need to tip the chief engineer?" It was a playful comment quoting  chengkp75 who is a chief engineer.

 

And mine was a playful go along for it...I swear, I rarely knock on the engine room with a $20 trying to tip someone.