Different tipping question

[Jordanyaya1]

Most of us agree that tipping above the normal on board gratuities  is normal. My question is two fold. Our upcoming cruise will be in 3 different countries having 3 different currencies, Euros, British pounds, and Icelandic Krona. What currency do you tip in including US dollars? Secondly, do you give these additional tips at end of cruise or during cruise? We have always tipped at end of cruise but rethinking of giving during the cruise. Thoughts?

Edited February 2, 2020 by Jordanyaya1

[Georgia_Peaches]

We tip in the currency of the embarkation port and always at the end of the cruise.

[jelayne]

We tip in US dollars as that is the ships currency.  With the exception of bar tips or specialty restaurant we tip at the end of the cruise.

[Pinboy]

We tip in $ US on the last night of the cruise. We like to say " Thank You " in person--- makes us feel good.

Another tipping question :

In the Specialty restaurants , is the gratuity include in the price or not ?

Reason for the question---- When they give you the bill , there is a line at the bottom that says " Additional Gratuity  " inferring that the tip is already included.

 

 

 

[PTC DAWG]

I ask for ice, etc in the room. I always tip a bit ($20-40 or so) when this request is made...more at cruise end when request is honored...

 

Bartenders, servers, etc. , as I go, per service..

Edited February 2, 2020 by PTC DAWG

[camofwilliamsburg]

I ask for ice and do not think this is an extra. I leave the auto tips alone but do not feel the need to tip in addition to this. But weighing in on this... if it is clearly a thank you for exceptional service do it at the end. If it is to get the extra you think you will not get without tipping then do it at the beginning.   I have always asked the cabin steward for extra pillows, ice twice a day and a few other things and have always been met with positive response from staff. What more are they doing to make people feel they need to tip in addition to the $31 per day in the regular cabins, higher in suites....??

[Mr. Click]

We tip at the end of the cruise.  We have had some attendants that did the minute so giving the minimum was fine , others have gone above and beyond so they get rewarded. Servers at the Elite Happy Hour get something at each visit.  US$ or euros mostly but a lot will depend on what is left over from our pre-cruise currency purchase.  

[kelmac]

Jy1,

We were on a world cruise last year (87 days total), and it included the perk of "pre-paid" gratuities. However, we would tip our key people additional funds every seven days.  Even though this was Cunard and the vast majority of passengers were from the UK, the currency onboard was the US$.  So, our cabin person, our assistant waiter, and our waiter all received these weekly thank-you cards with cash inside. Certain drink people, our area Maitre d' and a few others would get a bump from time to time.  

 

We were perhaps in the minority, and we did have some interesting discussions with our fellow passengers concerning this practice.  Many from the UK, and certainly the Aussies, had trouble understanding why we would reward people working for an organization that did not pay their workers a living wage.  There is a huge cultural gap concerning this issue, and the cruise industry seems to like this setup.  I'm sure it is complex, and we all know it is cloaked in mystery.  Contract workers, local tax laws, American Corporate balance sheets, international law, and flags of convenience.  There is a good book for an investigative reporter in there somewhere.😉

 

Enjoy!

Kel😃

 

[DYKWIA]

If you're sailing on a cruise from the UK - pounds will be fine. Euros and Dollars OK to.  I suspect a lot of people from the Europe on a European cruise aren't going to buy cash in dollars just for tipping.  Yes, the ship is in dollars but it's cashless.  Not too sure about Icelandic Krona, not a popular currency and Celebrity doesn't sail to Iceland that much for crew to use it.  Another one to avoid Croatian Kuna - only place willing to take those was the airport exchange at pitiful rates, once we left Croatia no one wanted those, even the banks in other ports.  There was a Croatian crew member on the pursars desk and she said she didn't want them either.

 

 

[Phxazzcruisers]

We always tip in US$.  It is the currency of Celebrity Cruises.  If the crew wants to change it to their local currency the ship will do it for them.  We only tip at the end of the cruise for exceptional service.  We do not tip at the start hoping to get better service, we have always received exceptional service without the "bribe"

What is even more important to the individual crew members if you get exceptional service, is to mention them, by name, on the questioner you receive mis cruise from Hotel Director, and more importantly, on the survey you receive by email a day or two after the cruise.  That is how they earn promotions and raises.

[Jim_Iain]

We always tip in USD.  

[Gordoncruickshank]

We usually tip in the currency that the cruise leaves from so that the staff can use it without having to change from $s.

[dadofjessie]

On our next British Isles cruise we will be carrying Euros, UK Pounds and USD for the express purpose of tipping.

[Fouremco]

We tip at the end of the cruise. Most of the time we use the currency of the port of debarkation, typically Euros, topped up with USD if necessary. However, there are exceptions. Last summer we spent 2 weeks cruising Norway, with Amsterdam as the port of embarkation/disembarkation. As we had leftover Norwegian krone and the ship would be spending the summer visiting Norwegian ports, we added that to the mix knowing that the crew would have lots of opportunity to use it.  

[NantahalaCruiser]

On 2/2/2020 at 10:18 AM, Gordoncruickshank said:

We usually tip in the currency that the cruise leaves from so that the staff can use it without having to change from $s.

I respect your personal choice, but fail to see the logic behind the choice. Even if the embarkation and disembarkation ports are one and the same, individual crew members may or may not receive more free time in that port than they may at an intermediate port in a different country with a different currency.

 

My choice is the ship's currency - just as is used for the auto-gratuity.

[DYKWIA]

5 hours ago, NantahalaCruiser said:

I respect your personal choice, but fail to see the logic behind the choice. Even if the embarkation and disembarkation ports are one and the same, individual crew members may or may not receive more free time in that port than they may at an intermediate port in a different country with a different currency.

 

My choice is the ship's currency - just as is used for the auto-gratuity.

 

Celebrity typically has a ship based in Southampton for 7 months a year - if you Board there you will see plenty of crew coming back to the ship with bags of shopping purchased in port .  The local shops in Southampton do not take US dollars.  

 

The ships sailing from Southampton are often largely UK travellers sailing to European and other UK destinations-  at none of these destinations is the  US dollar acceptable. Why would these travellers go to the trouble and expense of exchanging currency to US Dollars solely for the purpose of tipping, especially when we don’t have the same tipping culture.

 

As for the ships currency being the US dollar - for passengers it is cashless so might as well be in Thai Baht for what difference it makes.

 

 

[mchell810]

Years ago on a trip to Italy, not a cruise, on our last night we only had a few euro left so topped off a tip with USD.  We apologized to the waiter, but he said “money is money.”  He seemed appreciative of the tip. I’m sure any crew member is happy for an additional tip regardless of the currency. 

[DENIE]

We also tip in US dollars, as it is the on-board currency.  We also tip those staff that we interact with frequently.  Our favorite bartenders get a few bucks throughout the cruise, and especially at the end.  We give our cabin steward some at the beginning, middle, and end (we are usually on 9+ night cruises).  When possible, we like to give in person to express our appreciation.  Our cabin service has always been amazing.

[ShadowzBtlr]

Crew/staff members will always and gladly accept any currency from almost any country which has an established exchange rate. It should be noted that crew members are prohibited from keeping all but a very small amount of cash on their person or in their cabin. Each crew member has a “bank account” with the ship’s onboard bank/purser’s office into which they deposit any cash received (e.g., gratuities) or withdraw any “local” cash needed for in-port activities (e.g., on-shore meals, cab fares, etc.).  At the end of every shift or when they return from onshore “liberty”, each crew member must deposit the cash they have on them with the purser’s office in the crew area. The necessary currency conversion is performed by the purser’ office.

[The Mommy]

American ship so Dollars if fine all the way

I would just tip whenever you like during the cruise and always at the end  😊

[TeeRick]

On 2/2/2020 at 11:00 AM, DYKWIA said:

If you're sailing on a cruise from the UK - pounds will be fine. Euros and Dollars OK to.  I suspect a lot of people from the Europe on a European cruise aren't going to buy cash in dollars just for tipping.  Yes, the ship is in dollars but it's cashless.  Not too sure about Icelandic Krona, not a popular currency and Celebrity doesn't sail to Iceland that much for crew to use it.  Another one to avoid Croatian Kuna - only place willing to take those was the airport exchange at pitiful rates, once we left Croatia no one wanted those, even the banks in other ports.  There was a Croatian crew member on the pursars desk and she said she didn't want them either.

 

 

Typically ships sailing in Europe in my experience anyway have one ATM cash machine dispensing $USD (usually the casino) and a second ATM cash machine dispensing Euros.  This was the case even when we sailed from the UK ports.  No ATMs on board dispensing Pounds.  Tipping with $USD or Euros is fine, or if the ship originates or ends in the UK pounds is fine. In general the crew might have an onboard exchange method as suggested by Shadowzbtlr but it is probably a nuisance to exchange it elsewhere like in port.  For passengers, many local currencies are not exchanged on ship or are exchanged at very poor rates.

Edited February 5, 2020 by TeeRick

[bEwAbG]

17 hours ago, DYKWIA said:

As for the ships currency being the US dollar - for passengers it is cashless so might as well be in Thai Baht for what difference it makes.

 

Everything is priced in USD though, so you start with that as the reference point.