Is tipping included on my Silversea cruise?

[4sslack]

We have an upcoming cruise with Silversea...Thought I saw that tipping was included in our fare...

Do most people tip again at end of cruise?  Thanks in advance!

 

[Stumblefoot]

4sslack, the short answer is yes.  But, for some, it’s quite complicated. 😁😁😁 Take a moment to perform a perfunctory search of this forum with your question and you’ll find all sorts of different answers to your question.  Have fun searching and reading!

[4sslack]

Thank you for your response...it made me smile!

[jollyjones]

Speak for yourself Stumbles.

 

Another short answer is no, the tips are included in the fare. End of.

[Observer]

This is a controversial matter and highly personal.  I always tip my suite attendant and butler with whom I have daily contact.  If there are waiters or bartenders or pool attendants with whom I interact regularly and positively, I may tip them.  

 

But I cannot tip the dishwashers in the galley or the people who launder my sheets, etc.

 

To recognize them, one can contribute at Reception to the Crew Welfare Fund.  It is not well publicized and there is zero pressure.

 

It is possible to disembark a Silversea cruise having given no tips, and no crew will scowl.  But crew will be grateful for the recognition (and money!) associated with a tip.

[nfcu]

54 minutes ago, Observer said:

This is a controversial matter and highly personal.  I always tip my suite attendant and butler with whom I have daily contact.  If there are waiters or bartenders or pool attendants with whom I interact regularly and positively, I may tip them.  

 

But I cannot tip the dishwashers in the galley or the people who launder my sheets, etc.

 

To recognize them, one can contribute at Reception to the Crew Welfare Fund.  It is not well publicized and there is zero pressure.

 

It is possible to disembark a Silversea cruise having given no tips, and no crew will scowl.  But crew will be grateful for the recognition (and money!) associated with a tip.

You have stated what my response was going to be perfectly.  We do exactly the same.

[wripro]

4 hours ago, Observer said:

This is a controversial matter and highly personal.  I always tip my suite attendant and butler with whom I have daily contact.  If there are waiters or bartenders or pool attendants with whom I interact regularly and positively, I may tip them.  

 

But I cannot tip the dishwashers in the galley or the people who launder my sheets, etc.

 

To recognize them, one can contribute at Reception to the Crew Welfare Fund.  It is not well publicized and there is zero pressure.

 

It is possible to disembark a Silversea cruise having given no tips, and no crew will scowl.  But crew will be grateful for the recognition (and money!) associated with a tip.

I don't understand. What part of gratuities included is confusing? Alcohol is included too. Do you also throw down a $20 bill every time you order a martini?

[Observer]

9 minutes ago, wripro said:

I don't understand. What part of gratuities included is confusing? Alcohol is included too. Do you also throw down a $20 bill every time you order a martini?

 

Restaurants in many countries add service charges to the bill and the bill says “service compris.”  It is understood that most or all of the money goes to the restaurant and not the server.  It is customary in such cases when one has enjoyed good service to leave some cash for the server. 

[brimary]

The Silversea brochure every year states quite clearly all inclusive and gives a long list of items which includes ‘on board gratuities ‘.

[Observer]

5 minutes ago, brimary said:

The Silversea brochure every year states quite clearly all inclusive and gives a long list of items which includes ‘on board gratuities ‘.

 

Understood!  As I have said, there is zero compulsion to tip on Silversea and no scowls if one does not.  But a tip is a nice way (in addition to including names on comment forms, etc) of expressing gratitude and providing modest financial assistance to hard-working staff.  If it’s a $15,000 cruise and one tips a total of $150 ($50 each to butler and suite attendant and $10 each to five others) that’s 1% of the cruise fare..  And then there’s the Crew Welfare Fund.

 

When I began cruising many years ago, another luxury line forbade tipping and made it clear that any crew member taking a tip would not have contract renewed.  Silversea in no way forbids or even actively discourages tipping — just as they do not discourage the purchase of premium wines, dining in La Dame, etc,  

[les37b]

I do think people are confusing charges cruise lines usually force passengers to pay under the name "gratuities" to pay staff wages and with giving something to thank staff for giving service above and beyond to show your appreciation and gratitude. There is a huge difference in the manner given. I certainly begrudge the tipping culture used by employers to avoid paying their own staff, but if someone has given me exceptional service, I've no problem showing my gratitude.

 

Nowhere in the brochure does it say "do not tip". What it says is that SS don't add the CL standard gratuity daily charge (aka wages) to your bill. 

 

I'm not quite sure why that's been conflated with paying $20 for a Martini. It seems quite a simple concept to understand.

[Stumblefoot]

10 hours ago, jollyjones said:

Speak for yourself Stumbles.

 

Another short answer is no, the tips are included in the fare. End of.

Ummm, @jollyjones, I thought that is what I said, i.e. "Yes", tipping is included in one's fare. 😊

[turtlemichael]

8 minutes ago, Stumblefoot said:

Ummm, @jollyjones, I thought that is what I said, i.e. "Yes", tipping is included in one's fare. 😊

I think for jollyjones the important words are  "End of". 🙂

 

[drron29]

Another who contributes to the crew fund.It does indeed get to be used by the crew.

[jollyjones]

15 hours ago, Stumblefoot said:

Ummm, @jollyjones, I thought that is what I said, i.e. "Yes", tipping is included in one's fare. 😊

 

Stumbles,

Sorry if I misunderstood but OP asked "Do most people tip again at end of cruise?" and you wrote "4sslack, the short answer is yes" - that is how it came over to me.

 

PS I've wondered for a while why you refer to me as @jollyjones when I despise social media and have nothing to do with any of the pernicious misinformers - this is the only public forum I am a part of, and I spent a long time lurking, I mostly only join in now because I know some of you in person.

Edited February 25, 2020 by jollyjones

[brimary]

18 hours ago, les37b said:

 

 

Nowhere in the brochure does it say "do not tip". What it says is that SS don't add the CL standard gratuity daily charge (aka wages) to your bill. 

 

What it says in the Silversea brochure is precisely what I stated in my post yesterday.I cannot see any reference to what you stated above

[les37b]

48 minutes ago, brimary said:

What it says in the Silversea brochure is precisely what I stated in my post yesterday.I cannot see any reference to what you stated above

 

I've said it doesn't say anywhere "don't tip", so I'm not entirely sure if you are saying it does? If SS actively discouraged looking after staff, they wouldn't have the staff welfare fund would they?

 

Not sure why you'd think they'd reference other cruise lines and their practices. That's obviously my summary that SS don't add money to your bill for wages,  like the mainstream ones do and compulsory. I guess it all boils down to the interpretation of the use of the word gratuities used in the cruise industry and gratuity to say thank you.

 

I'm certainly not suggesting for one moment that you must tip, quite the opposite. Tipping is completely at your discretion, but its certainly not discouraged either, which I believe significantly absent. If it was, it would say so. I've been on AI holidays where you are instructed not to tip and staff are sacked if caught accepting any. Of course it all still happens regardless, despite that explicit information and quite simply its a personal thing. Some don't because there is an instruction, but that instruction doesn't exist on SS. (Or is there?)

 

It's quite odd really, as I'm someone who despises the tipping culture adopted in the US as I always think Employers are responsible for staff wages, but I'm actually fine with a monetary reward if I think I've been given excellent service and its this I'm happy to use when on board, but it is not a given as my last butler would confirm! 

 

 

 

 

 

[Stumblefoot]

3 hours ago, jollyjones said:

 

Stumbles,

Sorry if I misunderstood but OP asked "Do most people tip again at end of cruise?" and you wrote "4sslack, the short answer is yes" - that is how it came over to me.

 

PS I've wondered for a while why you refer to me as @jollyjones when I despise social media and have nothing to do with any of the pernicious misinformers - this is the only public forum I am a part of, and I spent a long time lurking, I mostly only join in now because I know some of you in person.

No problem Jolly.  My “yes” was merely a confirmation to the OP’s “Thought I saw that tipping was included in our fare."

 

Since I know how much you despise social media and how much I enjoy it, I figured that you might miss certain exchanges.  So, by using the ampersand symbol and your screen name, I ensure you won’t miss my reply since CruiseCritic gives you a notification when you login.  😉

[jollyjones]

No it doesn’t, I’ve told CC not to send push notifications. I detest them too, don’t allow them on any site. 

And I don’t log out. So don’t log in except when the site screws up. 

[rojaan19]

Usually the person who  brings me a cup of tea in bed of a morning   I kiss,  but on  SS  seeing that is the Butler  he gets a tip at the end of the cruise !  ( as does the maid)   We do  not tip any other staff.

We always  give to the Crew Welfare Fund,  which we found out about the first time we sailed with Ductape  ❤️