Thoughts on additional tips?

[rafinmd]

19 hours ago, VennDiagram said:

When we are in a Neptune, we leave a group tip at the end of the cruise for the Pinnacle Grill staff, if  we used the PG for breakfasts.

 

How do you do that?  Will the front desk accommodate that or do you leave it with the Pinnacle manager, or something else?

 

I usually tip my waiters and room stewards extra but one time I was forced into my time dining and really had no waiters to tip.  I chose to adjust the auto gratuity to cover that.  I'm wondering if there might be a better way.

 

Roy

[VennDiagram]

22 minutes ago, rafinmd said:

How do you do that?  Will the front desk accommodate that or do you leave it with the Pinnacle manager, or something else?

 

 

We write a thank you note and add the cash.  The envelope is left with the PG manager, and is addressed to "Pinnacle Grill Staff".  I figure they have an agreed-upon system (that's none of my business) for how additional gratuities are handled.

[wyobean]

We tip extra to our room stewards. We rarely eat in the dining room so do not leave any extra for them. On one of our cruises I tipped a gal at one of the breakfast stations in the Lido extra. After the first morning she remembered what I wanted and always greeted me and asked if I would like that today. I can’t even remember what it was now (lol) but I was so impressed with her friendliness and the fact she remembered me everyday that I thought she deserved something extra. 

[DaveOKC]

12 hours ago, kazu said:

We normally eat in the Pinnacle the last night.  We just let our waiters and wine steward know and pass them the envelope on the 2nd lat night.  No biggie.

 

 

Same here - we started off not liking the last night menu in the MDR (so went to Pinnacle) but now it is just tradition for us and a nice way to end the cruise IMO.  It is quite easy to pass an envelop to the waiters on the second to last night (and without being obvious about it).  One time I forgot, so I made a quick trip to the MDR on our way to the Pinnacle for dinner.

[kazu]

Just now, DaveOKC said:

One time I forgot, so I made a quick trip to the MDR on our way to the Pinnacle for dinner.

 

LOL - that happened to me a couple of years ago, too.  I nipped into the MDR just before 2nd sitting when there weren’t passengers around to slip them their envelopes and say thank you 🙂 

[knittinggirl]

If you're on a B2B and want to tip, be sure to tip on the first leg.  Sometimes, the staff  changes and won't be there to tip on the second leg.

 

We don't change the HSC or use the write in gratuities on receipts.  We want the crew to get the extras, so we tip extra in cash.

Edited December 30, 2019 by knittinggirl

[SumoCitrus]

2 hours ago, TheJurea said:

I’m not a fan of the envelope method.

I prefer to tip as I go,that way no one is forgotten or tipped when they haven’t performed a service.

I do NOT removed auto gratuity from my bill. But I will not add tips to a drink unless that drink was delivered promptly.

Having worked for tips, we always used the acronym 

To

Insure

Prompt

Service

            When I was working for tips, ChinaShrek may still be waiting for a beverage...😉

 

 

I love the acronym in principle, but it has always irked me that the proper word is "ensure" not "insure."

[portcbob]

Imo the cruise line should increase the cruise fare to cover the grats. Then we would just hand out the envelopes as we see fit. That would save all these issues.😁🛳

[kazu]

16 minutes ago, portcbob said:

Imo the cruise line should increase the cruise fare to cover the grats. Then we would just hand out the envelopes as we see fit. That would save all these issues.😁🛳

 

This has been discussed ad nauseum on other tipping threads.  See post 34 on this page which makes it clear.  Adding it to the cruise fare means the crew get less so either they raise the HSC if they include it in the fare or leave it as is.

You can hand out envelopes as you see fit leaving the HSC in place - no big deal.  

[DaveOKC]

20 minutes ago, portcbob said:

Imo the cruise line should increase the cruise fare to cover the grats. Then we would just hand out the envelopes as we see fit. That would save all these issues.😁🛳

Then back to the old way of doing things, which IMO did not work all that great either.

 

[Mary229]

We are tippers.  We have been criticized for paying extra for better service, I say that is my business.    On my longer cruises I tip my wait staff, my stewards and others who have given us special service on their day off.  Depending on the service provided I give anywhere from $5 to $20 on their day off.   John also tips at end of cruise to selected personnel.   We also give our steward a first day tip with our list of  needs - nothing other passengers wouldn’t also be asking but we like to indicate we are willing to pay for extra.   Yes, we likely get a notch more attention but so do people who pay HAL for a Neptune suite.  

[portcbob]

As I said kazu. Its our opinions only. I don't want to start a war here but we do either hsc grats or selected envelopes at the end of the cruise, but not both. 

Tips are personal we believe and should be up to the individual/s. 

Don't get me wrong don't mind tipping but not twice 

[The Beaver]

20 hours ago, kazu said:

We normally eat in the Pinnacle the last night.  We just let our waiters and wine steward know and pass them the envelope on the 2nd lat night.  No biggie.

 

 

Same here - we eat in one of the specialty restaurant on the last night. So on the second to the last night before we order from the menu in the MDR , we pass the enveloppes discreetly to the waiters and the wine stewards.  When we leave the table , we always thank them for taking care of us during our meals and a couple of times , after  handshakes, a big hug .

[RocketMan275]

1 hour ago, portcbob said:

Imo the cruise line should increase the cruise fare to cover the grats. Then we would just hand out the envelopes as we see fit. That would save all these issues.😁🛳

The only issues with the current system come from those who think that if the grats are included in the fares, then they will save money because they won't have to pay grats.

[mrmoviezombie]

We tip the room attendant (and assistant) about $10-$15 extra per day. They have the most direct effect on our cruise experience, and they are seriously over worked. Especially the ships that are not using assistants.

 

Most of the other staff we don't interact with regularly enough (or beyond normal service requirements) to warrant tips over the HSC, I assume it covers these folks well enough. We have occasionally handed out a $20 envelope for specific folks that went over and above.

[Cruising-along]

2 hours ago, Mary229 said:

We also give our steward a first day tip with our list of  needs - nothing other passengers wouldn’t also be asking but we like to indicate we are willing to pay for extra.   Yes, we likely get a notch more attention

Are you sure you get more attention?  Because we couldn't possibly get better attention and service than we have, and we give our stewards their extra tips at the end of the cruise.  Our cabin stewards on the NS were SO good and attentive (without a first-day tip) that we gave them double our usual amount.  We also write in kudos about their service during the cruise. They know who appreciates them, and a first-day tip isn't necessary.

[AV8rix]

22 hours ago, kazu said:

We normally eat in the Pinnacle the last night.  We just let our waiters and wine steward know and pass them the envelope on the 2nd lat night.  No biggie.

 

 

That's exactly what I always do.

[Mary229]

54 minutes ago, Cruising-along said:

Are you sure you get more attention?  Because we couldn't possibly get better attention and service than we have, and we give our stewards their extra tips at the end of the cruise.  Our cabin stewards on the NS were SO good and attentive (without a first-day tip) that we gave them double our usual amount.  We also write in kudos about their service during the cruise. They know who appreciates them, and a first-day tip isn't necessary.

Yep, I am pretty sure we get better service where we choose to tip well. We have had other cruisers comment too.    I also cruise with my mother and sister and there is a definite difference when John is not there with his generous tips.  I am not saying that the service is lacking

[twodjs]

We always tip at the end, not the beginning. We had a friend who tipped at the beginning and had the worst room steward she ever had. Hard to take back a tip (she didn't) but was she frustrated! Some seldom mentioned crew members we interact with quite a bit and always recognize their superior effort, both with written comments (a big deal!) and tips, are our two Neptune Lounge concierges and our casino hosts. 

[DaveOKC]

Very true about written comments about the crew - they seem to be VERY important to them.  On a recent cruise we submitted a comment card in the middle of it about how good our MDR waiter was and a day later we received very hearthfelt thanks from him, the head waiter and one of the officers - we were quite surprised and a bit embarassed at all of the attention.

 

[3rdGenCunarder]

1 hour ago, DaveOKC said:

Very true about written comments about the crew - they seem to be VERY important to them.  On a recent cruise we submitted a comment card in the middle of it about how good our MDR waiter was and a day later we received very hearthfelt thanks from him, the head waiter and one of the officers - we were quite surprised and a bit embarassed at all of the attention.

 

 

Yes, specific comments mean a lot. I try to write names in my journal so when I get the survey I have someone to mention when they ask "was any member of the staff especially helpful..." or whatever that question is.

 

[Riversedge]

17 hours ago, portcbob said:

As I said kazu. Its our opinions only. I don't want to start a war here but we do either hsc grats or selected envelopes at the end of the cruise, but not both. 

Tips are personal we believe and should be up to the individual/s. 

Don't get me wrong don't mind tipping but not twice 

 

If you only do one then the crew would really appreciate it if you left the hsc in place.  That money doesn’t just go to the people who serve you in various categories, it goes to all the people behind the scenes who are making your cruise enjoyable.   The people you don’t see work just as hard or harder than the ones you do see.  

 

The purpose of of this thread was to find out how much people tip, not to discuss whether it’s right or wrong. 

[3rdGenCunarder]

On 12/30/2019 at 8:46 AM, kazu said:

 

LOL - that happened to me a couple of years ago, too.  I nipped into the MDR just before 2nd sitting when there weren’t passengers around to slip them their envelopes and say thank you 🙂 

 

We forgot once, too. We had open seating but asked for the same table every night because Rianto and Henry were the best team we'd ever had. Must be 8 years ago at least, and I still remember their names, that's how good they were. On the last morning, I realized I hadn't told them we'd be skipping the dreaded Master Chef Dinner and I hadn't remembered their tips. I found Rianto at breakfast, but didn't see Henry. He said Henry would be working Lido lunch. So we went to the Lido to find Henry. He was pleased and amazed. No passenger had ever made an effort to find him to give him a tip. 

 

I agree with others who say how much to tip above the HSC is a personal decision. Don't feel cheap if you don't tip extra--as long as you leave the HSC in place. Don't show it off if you do. Unless people are VERY discreet, I don't see much evidence of tipping in the MDR. 

 

[sail7seas]

On 12/30/2019 at 7:46 PM, twodjs said:

We always tip at the end, not the beginning. We had a friend who tipped at the beginning and had the worst room steward she ever had. Hard to take back a tip (she didn't) but was she frustrated! Some seldom mentioned crew members we interact with quite a bit and always recognize their superior effort, both with written comments (a big deal!) and tips, are our two Neptune Lounge concierges and our casino hosts. 

We  Never tip at the beginning of a cruise.  ALWAYS, we always  have   envelopes at the end of our cruises  to  tip  those who  made our cruises better by their hard work and smiles......... etc  I think it feels like bribery to tip in advance. LIke  we   are saying you don't think they would give you good service if you wait until the end to tip.  IMO

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Mary229]

It is no more bribery to tip a crew member at the beginning in anticipation of service than it is to pay HAL for a premium suite in anticipation of service.  I just like going direct to the source rather than through HAL.   Big suites are not my thing but excellent service is.  Many are congratulated on this very board for paying HAL extra for that suite (usually with upgrade offers).  

 

You know the saying about different drummers, right?