HAL Tipping Policy

[sobore]

If I understand this correctly the only tipping a passanger is charged is $10 per day per person and 15% on booze? Have others experienced different charges, and has anyone modified the tip amounts due to great/poor service?

 

"A gratuity of $10 per guest per day for dining and stateroom services will be automatically added to your shipboard account on a daily basis. We are confident that you will find the service onboard exemplary and, should you wish to make adjustments, you may do so at the end of the cruise by contacting the front desk. A 15% service charge will be automatically added to your bar charges and dining room wine account. In terminals, airports, ports of call and on shore excursions, we suggest that you extend gratuities consistent with customary local practices"

[FlorenceItaly]

If I understand this correctly the only tipping a passanger is charged is $10 per day per person and 15% on booze? Have others experienced different charges, and has anyone modified the tip amounts due to great/poor service?

 

"A gratuity of $10 per guest per day for dining and stateroom services will be automatically added to your shipboard account on a daily basis. We are confident that you will find the service onboard exemplary and, should you wish to make adjustments, you may do so at the end of the cruise by contacting the front desk. A 15% service charge will be automatically added to your bar charges and dining room wine account. In terminals, airports, ports of call and on shore excursions, we suggest that you extend gratuities consistent with customary local practices"

 

Yes, you are understanding it correctly. I have never modified the tips, and typically tip additional cash to the sommelier, waiter, asst. waiter, and room steward as warranted. There have also been times that I've tipped my favorite bartender, etc.

None of this extra tipping is required, but you asked, so I am sharing with you :).

 

Marie

[sobore]

Otther than tipping and paying for drinks. What other expense should one expect. (excluding excursions)

[FlorenceItaly]

Otther than tipping and paying for drinks. What other expense should one expect. (excluding excursions)

 

It appears you have covered it :). If you choose to send laundry out that would be an extra. Typically, they offer laundry bag specials for around $12 which is a great deal. It's as much as you can stuff in the bag. I generally roll the clothes and alot fits in there. Your drycleaning prices will be comparable to home. You also have the option to rent a tux if you would like to avoid carrying a suit, etc. I am not sure of the prices but I am sure you can give them a call or find it on site. And, of course taxi fare to and from the airport.

 

Have you booked your cruise yet? If so, what ship?

 

Marie

[Mollynme]

Does anyone know if they charge the same amount for children?

[FlorenceItaly]

amount for children.

 

Marie

[jhannah]

Also be aware that the 15% added to your bar bill is not just for booze. It applies to sodas, too.

[sobore]

It appears you have covered it :). If you choose to send laundry out that would be an extra. Typically, they offer laundry bag specials for around $12 which is a great deal. It's as much as you can stuff in the bag. I generally roll the clothes and alot fits in there. Your drycleaning prices will be comparable to home. You also have the option to rent a tux if you would like to avoid carrying a suit, etc. I am not sure of the prices but I am sure you can give them a call or find it on site. And, of course taxi fare to and from the airport.

 

Have you booked your cruise yet? If so, what ship?

 

Marie

 

I'd like to do the New England cruise which I believe is the Maasadam or Amesterdam. If I can work out the scheduling for this year.

[NapTown Jim]

Is my understanding correct that the $10/day tip charge is split amongst the entire crew? If I slip my cabin steward and waiter some extra cash do they get to keep it or are they required to turn it into the general tip fund?

 

You see...I did my time in the food service gulag putting myself through college and I apreciate good service and I like to tip well for it. I realize Pizza Hut is a far cry from HAL but still...I want to reward the stewards and waiters working directly for me.

[FlorenceItaly]

I'd like to do the New England cruise which I believe is the Maasadam or Amesterdam. If I can work out the scheduling for this year.

 

Fabulous cruise. That is the cruise I took in 2004. It was my first HAL cruise and my first solo cruise. I enjoyed it so much, I came home and booked another solo cruise to Alaska with HAL, for just a few months later.

Unfortunately, my dh changed jobs in Nov 2003, and has very little vacation time, but he is a dear not to mind me going on my own. We have taken a few cruises together since that time, but not many.

 

Marie

[peaches from georgia]

NapTown Jim:

 

If you for any reason take the $10/day tip charge off your ship account, then any cash you tip your stewards is supposed to be turned into a pool by them and shared by all, and we can only presume they follow the rule.

 

If you keep the $10/day on your ship account then you are free to tip extra cash to any steward or crew you choose and they may keep it. This is what we do.

[Krazy Kruizers]

$3.50 goes to your cabin steward. $3.50 is divided between your dining room steward and his assistant. The other $3 is divided among the cooks, laundry people, etc.

 

Should you decide to remove the automatic tips from your ship board account and tip individually, keep in mind that your cabin steward, waiter and his assistant and anyone else you give cash to, has to turn in those monies which will then be spilt among all crew. Your cabin stweard, etc., will get very little out of that money.

[NapTown Jim]

NapTown Jim:

 

If you keep the $10/day on your ship account then you are free to tip extra cash to any steward or crew you choose and they may keep it. This is what we do.

 

Alright then...thats what I'm going to do too! I don't want to take anything away from these guys...if anything I'll want to give them more.

 

Thanks!

[c.crawford]

Yes, that is the first part only of the tipping policy. What HAL will NOT tell you until the last day of your first cruise is what KrazyKruisers said. For example but not limited to: If three passengers traveling together each buy the "Platinum Travel Insurance" from AAA (TA(Travel Agency)) the pursers assistant will insist that you must have certificate of insurance a paid reciept will not do. Thus by thier twisted logic you must bear the complete very inflated financial burdeon of a of a life threatining medical emergency. The front desk (911) had to be called twice. The medical personell would not respond though they were told both times that it was a life threatining medical emergency. The ships doctor is not required to be licensed to practice medicine in the USA. The doctor is very familiar with the US policy of overcharging, especially the "uninsured". The crew on the otherhand performed perfectly.

Be prepaired to pay the medical personel, the purser's assistant and AAA Platinum Travel insurance up to 100% or more. The coffee is still free for now, that may change as well. Even if you only drink coffee, the (wine steward - purser's assistant - cruise director) will get his/her $4 a day. If the policy is changed at all the officers will demand all cash given to the stewards and chefs that EARNED tips.

It would not suprise me if there were an emergency fund for officer's children but not crew.:mad:

[sobore]

Yes, that is the first part only of the tipping policy. What HAL will NOT tell you until the last day of your first cruise is what KrazyKruisers said. For example but not limited to: If three passengers traveling together each buy the "Platinum Travel Insurance" from AAA (TA(Travel Agency)) the pursers assistant will insist that you must have certificate of insurance a paid reciept will not do. Thus by thier twisted logic you must bear the complete very inflated financial burdeon of a of a life threatining medical emergency. The front desk (911) had to be called twice. The medical personell would not respond though they were told both times that it was a life threatining medical emergency. The ships doctor is not required to be licensed to practice medicine in the USA. The doctor is very familiar with the US policy of overcharging, especially the "uninsured". The crew on the otherhand performed perfectly.

 

Be prepaired to pay the medical personel, the purser's assistant and AAA Platinum Travel insurance up to 100% or more. The coffee is still free for now, that may change as well. Even if you only drink coffee, the (wine steward - purser's assistant - cruise director) will get his/her $4 a day. If the policy is changed at all the officers will demand all cash given to the stewards and chefs that EARNED tips.

 

It would not suprise me if there were an emergency fund for officer's children but not crew.:mad:

 

I'm a little confused. are you saying IF you use medical services, then HAL wants to see the insurance certificate the last day of your cruise. If you do not produce it they charge you for all services incurred?

[K&RCurt]

Yes, that is the first part only of the tipping policy. What HAL will NOT tell you until the last day of your first cruise is what KrazyKruisers said. For example but not limited to: If three passengers traveling together each buy the "Platinum Travel Insurance" from AAA (TA(Travel Agency)) the pursers assistant will insist that you must have certificate of insurance a paid reciept will not do. Thus by thier twisted logic you must bear the complete very inflated financial burdeon of a of a life threatining medical emergency. The front desk (911) had to be called twice. The medical personell would not respond though they were told both times that it was a life threatining medical emergency. The ships doctor is not required to be licensed to practice medicine in the USA. The doctor is very familiar with the US policy of overcharging, especially the "uninsured". The crew on the otherhand performed perfectly.

 

Be prepaired to pay the medical personel, the purser's assistant and AAA Platinum Travel insurance up to 100% or more. The coffee is still free for now, that may change as well. Even if you only drink coffee, the (wine steward - purser's assistant - cruise director) will get his/her $4 a day. If the policy is changed at all the officers will demand all cash given to the stewards and chefs that EARNED tips.

 

It would not suprise me if there were an emergency fund for officer's children but not crew.:mad:

 

The idea of vacation insurance is to reimburse for covered expenses. Reimburse = YOU pay and the insurance company pays you back. If you go to a doctor in the US and don't have proof of insurance you will be expected to pay. (Every doctor's office I've been to in the past 5 years has a notice to that effect next to the reception desk). A copy of your pay stub showing that money was deducted for "insurance" would not suffice. Why would HAL or the doctor they retained for that voyage accept an invoice saying that you purchased "insurance". HAL or the Doctor are under no obligation to accept any "assignment of benifits" from ANY insurance for medical care on-board. In addition, why would you think a foreign ship would have only doctors who practice in the USA?

What did you have to pay the Purser's Assistant ("100% or more"). Are you implying he demanded a tip or bribe to help you?

And what does ANY of this have to do with tipping?

[Krazy Kruizers]

Somehow I think we are getting off topis here. How did purser's assistant and insurance, doctor, etc. get combined with the tipping policy?

 

In 2004 I had to have exrays done by the ship's doctor. Never once did anyone ask to see an insurance policy.

[boards]

I was going to ask the same question, what the Heck does that have to do with tipping policy, absolutely nothing. I think the tipping policy is pretty clear, if you leave it on, you can tip extra all you want to and to whomever you want to, but take it off and they will have to report it and then it will be shared by all. Simple. We find that the policy is just fine and fair, most of the cruise lines are following the same policy, except for perhaps the more exclusive ones. This the easy way to cover the tipping problem of carrying enough money to pay them. We like it.

[jhannah]

There is a tipping thread currently running. I believe the poster put the comments in the wrong thread.

[boards]

Your right, that must be the answer. Sorry I jumped on this, but the tipping thing is just about getting too much. I'm not a great tipper, but it is the way of life when you travel, so if you like to travel and have people do things to help you along way, you better be prepared.

[CINCY40]

I scanned this thread quickly, but I do not believe that anyone mentioned tipping for room service. Also, we tip the concierge at the end of the cruise if she/he does anything special for us. On many excursions it is customary to tip the guide, etc.

 

We take a lot of $1 bills and $5 bills for these occasions.

 

Nancy

[boards]

I cannot speak for those who are the suites, but the outside and inside cabins, whenever we have had an occasion to use room service we have always tipped.

[jhannah]

Oops! I meant to say there's an insurance thread running. THIS is the tipping thread. Sorry. (Senior moment?????)

[RuthC]

Jim, all of us here fully understand. :o

You may come out of the corner now. :)

[serendipity1499]

Otther than tipping and paying for drinks. What other expense should one expect. (excluding excursions)

 

I too was thoroughly confused by c.crawford's post, but thanks Jim for clearing it up..

Other expenses you might incur are Bingo, Lottery, Casino, Specialty Restaurant, Special coffee’s in the coffee bar, Non-alcoholic drinks, Spa & Beauty Salon, Cooking Classes, {Private Baby Sitting Services- other than the Club HAL (Children under 5 can participate in Club Hal as long as an Adult is with them), You also might consider tipping the Club HAL (Children’s Program) staff separately(Cash), Shopping on board, Art auctions & Medical expenses.(medical problem=you are expected to pay the Dr. & get reimbursed by your Travel Insurance Co when you return home)

All of the above, with the exception of Cash tips. are added to your account & charged to your Credit Card at the end of the cruise…

Hope you enjoy your cruise...