Tipping

[grapau27]

1 hour ago, Dinglebert said:

Ah but 100% of the people where I am drive on the left.

I prefer driving on the right hand side of the road in Orlando when on holiday and I have driven 40,000 miles a year for 40+ years in the UK as a Sales representative.

I am a generous tipper too.

 

Edited June 1, 2020 by grapau27

[grapau27]

1 hour ago, Tree_skier said:

I've never seen a server surprised or had one try and return a tip while in Europe.  Every credit card receipt I have signed in multiple Western European countries has a tip line. Every offer of a tip while on an MSC cruise, an Italian cruise line, cruising the Med was gladly and gratefully accepted.  This Europe is a no tip culture so I'm not tipping on a US based cruise line argument doesn't make a lick of sense to me.  

10% is appreciated because all waiters etc are on minimum wages of about $10 an hour in the EU and UK.

Edited June 1, 2020 by grapau27

[PORT ROYAL]

1 hour ago, Dinglebert said:

Ah but 100% of the people where I am drive on the left.

 

Yes, but you're still in a Foreign Country, being the other side of the English Border. 😉

[grapau27]

1 hour ago, Ocean Boy said:

Maybe that is the reason you guys lost the war.

UK and her US allies won the war

[grapau27]

5 hours ago, Dinglebert said:

We do that in Scotland was well.  The switch over at the Border caused issues.

Never caused any problems in my lifetime and I have crossed the border hundreds of times.

Edited June 1, 2020 by grapau27

[LMaxwell]

On 5/27/2020 at 2:21 PM, Tree_skier said:

When cruising restarts and you get back on board the ship will you tip more to help staff who have lost a significant portion of income by not being able to be employed? Will you tip less because your own personal finances have been impacted and you just can't afford to tip as much as you used to? Or will you tip about the same?

 

Probably about the same.  I tip for services received, not someones personal financial situation (which I never know as it's not my business), so I wouldn't feel guilted or compelled to tip more, likewise my own personal financial situation doesn't dictate that I am going to tip less than before; I know the expectations going in and if service is at the level the company sets, everyone gets their fair piece of it. 

[Ocean Boy]

4 hours ago, grapau27 said:

UK and her US allies won the war

Wrong war my friend. Go back a few more years....1700's.

[Milwaukee Eight]

6 hours ago, grapau27 said:

UK and her US allies won the war

Wrong war

[Tree_skier]

8 hours ago, Dinglebert said:

Ah but Great Britain is made up of three separate national countries.  The US is just one and frankly can't cope with roundabouts.

Now this is true! As a Canadian and regular user of roundabouts I find Americans use of them down right scary. lol 

[Tree_skier]

7 hours ago, grapau27 said:

UK and her US allies won the war

 

2 hours ago, Ocean Boy said:

Wrong war my friend. Go back a few more years....1700's.

 

1 hour ago, Milwaukee Eight said:

Wrong war

 

Hey @grapau27, remind these yanks about the more recent war in 1812.  They tried to invade North and you sent them packing. 🙂 Thanks for that by the way.  

[pcur]

8 hours ago, Ocean Boy said:

We can do roundabouts. Though I will admit that going through them on the wrong side of the road on Bermuda with a moped during Hamilton's rush hour is not something to be taken lightly.

HA!  Try London!!  

 

I can still remember chanting "think left, think left, think left" to my husband.  Also, screaming "THE BUS"!!!, too.

 

Thank goodness for the painted road numbers on the pavement in roundabouts.

[Ocean Boy]

5 minutes ago, pcur said:

HA!  Try London!!  

 

I can still remember chanting "think left, think left, think left" to my husband.  Also, screaming "THE BUS"!!!, too.

 

Thank goodness for the painted road numbers on the pavement in roundabouts.

Not only are you on the wrong side of the road but you go around them in the wrong direction, too!😯

[pcur]

48 minutes ago, Ocean Boy said:

Not only are you on the wrong side of the road but you go around them in the wrong direction, too!😯

 

😄                 😷

 

[Tree_skier]

So how many people tip their cabin steward on the first day of the cruise.  That has been my custom and I have always had amazing service.  I know some people complain that that is bribing the cabin steward and you shouldn't do it but it has always worked for me.  

[Milwaukee Eight]

9 hours ago, Ocean Boy said:

We can do roundabouts. Though I will admit that going through them on the wrong side of the road on Bermuda with a moped during Hamilton's rush hour is not something to be taken lightly.

Here in my area of Florida and many others..... instead of traffic signals, installing roundabouts seem to be the new thing. 

[grapau27]

7 hours ago, Ocean Boy said:

Wrong war my friend. Go back a few more years....1700's.

Thanks my friend, didn't think of that.

[grapau27]

6 hours ago, Milwaukee Eight said:

Wrong war

Before my time lol.👍

[grapau27]

5 hours ago, Tree_skier said:

 

 

 

Hey @grapau27, remind these yanks about the more recent war in 1812.  They tried to invade North and you sent them packing. 🙂 Thanks for that by the way.  

Thanks we always stand by our friends.👍

Edited June 2, 2020 by grapau27

[grapau27]

4 hours ago, Tree_skier said:

So how many people tip their cabin steward on the first day of the cruise.  That has been my custom and I have always had amazing service.  I know some people complain that that is bribing the cabin steward and you shouldn't do it but it has always worked for me.  

Usually $5-10 dollars especially in Europe if the cabin steward gets me a kettle.

[Coralc]

13 hours ago, grapau27 said:

I prefer driving on the right hand side of the road in Orlando when on holiday and I have driven 40,000 miles a year for 40+ years in the UK as a Sales representative.

I am a generous tipper too.

 

 

Do you really? Driving on the left is such an odd thing for us to get used to on holidays. 

 

And tipping is a personal thing. It is nice to know what others might do, but it is up to you and how you judge the level of service. 

Edited June 2, 2020 by Coralc

[grapau27]

3 hours ago, Coralc said:

 

Do you really? Driving on the left is such an odd thing for us to get used to on holidays. 

 

And tipping is a personal thing. It is nice to know what others might do, but it is up to you and how you judge the level of service. 

It actually feels more natural driving on the right.

We have been coming to Orlando since 1992 and enjoy the wide roads, automatic cars and driving on the right.

Restaurant service is usually excellent too.

[Ocean Boy]

9 hours ago, Tree_skier said:

So how many people tip their cabin steward on the first day of the cruise.  That has been my custom and I have always had amazing service.  I know some people complain that that is bribing the cabin steward and you shouldn't do it but it has always worked for me.  

I have never tipped a cabin steward until the end and service has always been very good to excellent.

[DfDinLA]

23 hours ago, grapau27 said:

10% is appreciated because all waiters etc are on minimum wages of about $10 an hour in the EU and UK.

I do not agree with the comment about the EU.  There is no such thing as an EU minimum wage.  6 of the 27 member states (Denmark, Italy, Cyprus, Austria, Finland and Sweden) do not have any minimum wage at all.  The other 21 countries have individual labor regulations regarding the number of hours in the work week and minimum pay rates.  Some of the EU countries (Czech Republic, Poland) do not even use the Euro.  In addition, workers in EU receive statutory benefits regarding vacation pay and sick pay that effectively and significantly increase their income on an hourly basis relative to US workers.

 

Comparing international pay rates is not a simple exercise.  As they say, the devil is ion the details.  In my opinion, there is a lot of misinformation on these boards on this topic.

[lenquixote66]

6 hours ago, Ocean Boy said:

I have never tipped a cabin steward until the end and service has always been very good to excellent.

I too never tipped at the start of the cruise and have had several stewards who were better than excellent.😀

[grapau27]

1 hour ago, DfDinLA said:

I do not agree with the comment about the EU.  There is no such thing as an EU minimum wage.  6 of the 27 member states (Denmark, Italy, Cyprus, Austria, Finland and Sweden) do not have any minimum wage at all.  The other 21 countries have individual labor regulations regarding the number of hours in the work week and minimum pay rates.  Some of the EU countries (Czech Republic, Poland) do not even use the Euro.  In addition, workers in EU receive statutory benefits regarding vacation pay and sick pay that effectively and significantly increase their income on an hourly basis relative to US workers.

 

Comparing international pay rates is not a simple exercise.  As they say, the devil is ion the details.  In my opinion, there is a lot of misinformation on these boards on this topic.

We have minimum wage in the UK and the EU are even stricter with some labour laws as some have been forced on us.

The 6 you have mentioned we have visited some on a cruise but not eaten in a restaurant there although Cyprus was known for putting 10% service charge on bills in restaurants.

Some countries people round up to nearest € for tips in restaurants.

I tip 10% of total bill in the UK but usually leave €2-4 in the Spanish islands.