Tipping

[grapau27]

2 hours 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.

Just to clarify for the EU wage protections.

[Lady Chew]

We never tip until the end of the cruise ... the exception being on our long cruises when we sometimes tip our cabin stewards half-way through.  We don't tip anyone else until the end of the cruise.  

 

An earlier poster apparently envisioned some of us walking about the ship carrying huge wads of small US bills to tip every waiter/bar tender we come across throughout the cruise.   

[amurray88]

30 minutes ago, Lady Chew said:

We never tip until the end of the cruise ... the exception being on our long cruises when we sometimes tip our cabin stewards half-way through.  We don't tip anyone else until the end of the cruise.  

 

An earlier poster apparently envisioned some of us walking about the ship carrying huge wads of small US bills to tip every waiter/bar tender we come across throughout the cruise.   

I wasn't that poster...but the reason someone envisaged it is because someone said that's what they do (not going to find the post just now but the person said they tip $1-2 for every drink, tip at breakfast, lunch and dinner and any cafe stops/coffees they have. 

[Sam Ting]

We always remove the service charge and tip as we go. If the service is good we tip good. If the service sucks then so does our tip. The way it should be.  

[goldfish65]

I don't bring "wads of small bills" when traveling, instead go to my bank and get packs of new bills, they stay neat and it is nicer to give someone clean, crisp money.  One small annoyance the notes do tend to stick together.

Edited June 2, 2020 by goldfish65

[PORT ROYAL]

10 hours ago, amurray88 said:

I wasn't that poster...but the reason someone envisaged it is because someone said that's what they do (not going to find the post just now but the person said they tip $1-2 for every drink, tip at breakfast, lunch and dinner and any cafe stops/coffees they have. 

 

Me too..... along the same lines, but round it up to $5 or $10 in the bars, Coffee Shop, and Room Service.  A special ask to the Room Steward is also rewarded

MD's, HW, Sommelier (for assistance in selecting well), Waiter, Assistant Waiter, Room Steward etc., at the end, in an envelope.

Also with new bills.

 

Edited June 3, 2020 by PORT ROYAL
Predictive

[grapau27]

10 hours ago, amurray88 said:

I wasn't that poster...but the reason someone envisaged it is because someone said that's what they do (not going to find the post just now but the person said they tip $1-2 for every drink, tip at breakfast, lunch and dinner and any cafe stops/coffees they have. 

In the DL/CL where drinks are free during cocktail hours or 3 free drinks in other bars I always give $1 a drink tip because the drink is free for me and the waiter is making nothing unless I leave a tip.

[crazyank]

11 hours ago, Sam Ting said:

We always remove the service charge and tip as we go. If the service is good we tip good. If the service sucks then so does our tip. The way it should be.  

yep, completely agree

[Ocean Boy]

2 hours ago, grapau27 said:

In the DL/CL where drinks are free during cocktail hours or 3 free drinks in other bars I always give $1 a drink tip because the drink is free for me and the waiter is making nothing unless I leave a tip.

Same here. For other drinks I feel 18% on an over priced drink us enough. If a particular bar tender has given me really good service I will tip him at the end of the cruise.

[barbeyg]

Thanks for the tipping thread! 😂 Makes me long for a cruise.  🙂

 

We generally carry lots of $5 and $1 bills on cruises, and tip at least $1 for each drink, whether on top of the tip for drinks we buy, or a Diamond drink.  If we have a server who waits on us frequently, we usually add $20 at the end of the cruise.  We always get exceptional service.  😊

 

Our room steward usually gets (at the end of the cruise), anywhere from $50 to $100 extra on top of auto-grats.  $50 is for basically meeting our needs, which aren't much.  We are easy to please.  Most cruises, we've had excellent stewards, so tip accordingly.  We tip our waitstaff an additional $50 to $100 also at the end of the cruise.  Various other tips, as service is rendered.

 

IF we are sailing this December, we will be in a Crown Loft -- our first one ever, after a GS Royal Up from a JS on our last cruise.  The GS really DID spoil us, since we generally stay in a JS, and we tipped more than we usually do due to the extra space in the cabin.  The CL is a surprise for my husband on our 35th anniversary, and I def plan to tip more for the steward than normal anyway, since it is a much larger area.    

 

We decided to "up the tipping" for this next cruise anyway, since we are doing the same locally for restaurants when we do pickup, and the occasional dine-in.   We've been blessed to both work throughout the crisis.  Many haven't been as fortunate, and my heart aches for them all.

[Ocean Boy]

11 minutes ago, barbeyg said:

  The GS really DID spoil us, since we generally stay in a JS, and we tipped more than we usually do due to the extra space in the cabin.  The CL is a surprise for my husband on our 35th anniversary, and I def plan to tip more for the steward than normal anyway, since it is a much larger area.    

 

 

You tip more for space? 🤔

[barbeyg]

After responding to the OP, then reading some of the thread, I have to say that I haven't laughed out loud at a CC thread in a very long time (excluding the humor threads going). 

 

Tree-skier, great job!!!😂

Edited June 3, 2020 by barbeyg

[barbeyg]

1 minute ago, Ocean Boy said:

You tip more for space? 🤔

 

They have more to clean, is what I meant. 😂  In a balcony cabin, there's less area to straighten up.   

 

Of course, we aren't rock stars, and don't trash the cabin or anything, but yeah...I do tip more if they have more area to tidy up.  I'm strange that way.  🙃

[PORT ROYAL]

7 minutes ago, barbeyg said:

 

They have more to clean, is what I meant. 😂  In a balcony cabin, there's less area to straighten up.   

 

Of course, we aren't rock stars, and don't trash the cabin or anything, but yeah...I do tip more if they have more area to tidy up.  I'm strange that way.  🙃

You're not "strange".

Being kind, considerate, and generous, is only considered "strange" by a specific section of cruisers, who, for some inexplicable reason, are allowed to board, and even more frightening, breed.

Edited June 3, 2020 by PORT ROYAL
Typo

[Ocean Boy]

6 minutes ago, barbeyg said:

 

They have more to clean, is what I meant. 😂  In a balcony cabin, there's less area to straighten up.   

 

Of course, we aren't rock stars, and don't trash the cabin or anything, but yeah...I do tip more if they have more area to tidy up.  I'm strange that way.  🙃

Ok, I get it now. You are tipping for the extra service for cleaning the extra space. BTW, I'm no rock star either and create very little mess.... except for towels. I am a big fan of showers.😊

[GUT2407]

I keep hearing that I end up paying more to cruise in Australia because there are auto tips, so I just checked one cruise 12 Dec Syd to Hobart

 

US site quoted me $US772, PLUS DAILY GRATS

 

Aus price $1040, no more to pay

 

Todays exchange 69.31

 

$Aus1040 = $US717.

[Tree_skier]

16 hours ago, Ocean Boy said:

Same here. For other drinks I feel 18% on an over priced drink us enough. If a particular bar tender has given me really good service I will tip him at the end of the cruise.

Do you always pay as you go on drinks or do you get the drink package?

[Tree_skier]

15 hours ago, barbeyg said:

After responding to the OP, then reading some of the thread, I have to say that I haven't laughed out loud at a CC thread in a very long time (excluding the humor threads going). 

 

Tree-skier, great job!!!😂

I aim to please. 🙂 

[Tree_skier]

16 minutes ago, GUT2407 said:

I keep hearing that I end up paying more to cruise in Australia because there are auto tips, so I just checked one cruise 12 Dec Syd to Hobart

 

US site quoted me $US772, PLUS DAILY GRATS

 

Aus price $1040, no more to pay

 

Todays exchange 69.31

 

$Aus1040 = $US717.

I price cruises in two currencies all all the time. I have six cruises currently booked and 3 are US$ and 3 are CDN$. I have found that sometimes there are different prices for different currencies.  I was told that Royal has quotas or something like that for particular national markets so sometimes there will be disparity in pricing across different currencies.  Perhaps that might account for your anomaly.  

[Ocean Boy]

7 hours ago, Tree_skier said:

Do you always pay as you go on drinks or do you get the drink package?

I don't drink anywhere near enough to make a package cost effective. Now, maybe if I could stumble across one of those $18 IT errors.....

[Reader0108598]

On 5/27/2020 at 5:40 PM, firefly333 said:

Some day I will be robbed, it looks like I have a whole bunch of money. 

You and my husband ,he does not trust banks.  I have to fight with constantly. I swear he is going to get stopped one day and they are going to toss the car looking for the drugs...lol 

[firefly333]

1 hour ago, Reader0108598 said:

You and my husband ,he does not trust banks.  I have to fight with constantly. I swear he is going to get stopped one day and they are going to toss the car looking for the drugs...lol 

Well I'm female and yes I feel you need to bring money for tips . In cash.

I do also buy pills in Belize tbh to sleep which i pay for in cash rather than argue with a doctor. My mom has insomnia bad too and her doctor took her off sleep meds and she is miserable when she cant sleep. I think doctors who dont experience insomnia dont get it. Or they are afraid you will abuse the meds and hold them liable. I think doctors are protecting themselves. 

 

But I admit I do shop on my cruises. Last time I bought at least 4 bottles of good scotch home for friends. I was going to a group who mostly drinks scotch and smoked cigars. I dont smoke the cigars, but drink some. I got some probably fake Cubans in cozumel and got hand rolled cigars in roatan, and a leather purse for myself .... and ... and... some people love suites, I love to shop. I did find out,the scotch is cheaper here in dallas, wouldnt buy it again. Texas has low liquor taxes. 

[Ocean Boy]

47 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

Well I'm female and yes I feel you need to bring money for tips . In cash.

I do also buy pills in Belize tbh to sleep which i pay for in cash rather than argue with a doctor. My mom has insomnia bad too and her doctor took her off sleep meds and she is miserable when she cant sleep. I think doctors who dont experience insomnia dont get it. Or they are afraid you will abuse the meds and hold them liable. I think doctors are protecting themselves. 

 

But I admit I do shop on my cruises. Last time I bought at least 4 bottles of good scotch home for friends. I was going to a group who mostly drinks scotch and smoked cigars. I dont smoke the cigars, but drink some. I got some probably fake Cubans in cozumel and got hand rolled cigars in roatan, and a leather purse for myself .... and ... and... some people love suites, I love to shop. I did find out,the scotch is cheaper here in dallas, wouldnt buy it again. Texas has low liquor taxes. 

Any chance you think there is a possibility that doctors are trying to protect their patients?

[Tree_skier]

8 hours ago, Ocean Boy said:

Any chance you think there is a possibility that doctors are trying to protect their patients?

My father ended up getting addicted to sleeping pills in his late sixties because of Dr. who prescribed as much and as many as dad asked for.  That was almost 30 years ago. I'm glad that Dr's. are much more careful about their prescription writing now.  That was a nightmare for our family.  With the high cost of meds for many Americans I understand the desire of people to purchase meds for cheap att places like Costa Maya but I think it is really unwise when people are buying and using meds purchased down there that have not been prescribed by a dr.

[Bailey & Sophie]

12 hours ago, Ocean Boy said:

Any chance you think there is a possibility that doctors are trying to protect their patients?

 

A few years ago I fell and broke my ankle & dislocated my shoulder. I needed surgery and then went to a rehab facility for pt.

The rehab doctor came once a week for an evaluation. The first day he asked me if I wanted opiods. I said NO. He couldn't believe it. He said that if he were offered opiods he would never turn them down and tried to make me feel foolish for turning them down. Well, my ankle hurt but my brain wasn't addled. Give me some tylenol.

What's wrong here?