Are you going to be giving more & bigger tips on your upcoming cruises?

[MikeBayAreaCa]

36 minutes ago, LilBlackDress said:

So if you have no desire to go to Costa Rica or Croatia What about other foreign countries??? I took a cruise just before the shutdown and one of the ports was Costa Rica.
Do you only Cruise to Alaska and Hawaii? I'm confused

Wow.  You’re certainly reading a lot into that. 

 

Simply put, those are two areas of the world I have no interest in visiting. 

 

Also, I’ve never been to Hawaii.  I’ll get there someday.  
 

 

 

[cruzsnooze]

On 7/12/2021 at 5:34 AM, Dat Cruisin Couple said:

We plan on tipping more and spreading it around more since the people making our vacation 1) are dealing with smaller tip pools because of fewer passengers 2) they have probably suffered more with being out of their jobs for 16 months that those of us hopping on ships as soon as we can.

NO

[Travel R]

 

[A&L_Ont]

16 hours ago, CSHS1979 said:

 

VISA and MC are your friends 

 

During the covid crisis I went several months never spending cash. Barely do now

I’ve used tap pay so much the last year I’ve almost forgotten my security pins.

[Itchy&Scratchy]

1 minute ago, A&L_Ont said:

I’ve used tap pay so much the last year I’ve almost forgotten my security pins.

I never use any security pins when paying with any of my credit cards.

[Itchy&Scratchy]

1 hour ago, MikeBayAreaCa said:

Simply put, those are two areas of the world I have no interest in visiting. 

the point is that a lot of cruise personnel is from countries like that, and they may not be able to spend or exchange your "cute idea" of a 2-dollar bill there. They will have to do an extra step of exchanging a 2-dollar bill for something that they could actually use, which adds extra work to their busy days. All because "you don't have a problem using 2-dollar bills in the US."

[A&L_Ont]

6 minutes ago, Itchy&Scratchy said:

I never use any security pins when paying with any of my credit cards.

Up here when you card tap for bank/credit cards you don’t have to use the key pad, unless it’s over a set amount. Then you have to insert your card, followed up your security pin. Canada was using this technique long before the States had security pins for credit cards. We haven’t had to sign a slip up here for ages, maybe more than ten years. 
 

Do you still have to sign a paper slip and no key pad?

Edited July 13, 2021 by A&L_Ont

[Itchy&Scratchy]

16 minutes ago, A&L_Ont said:

Do you still have to sign a paper slip and no key pad?

not in most places. You insert a chipped card, take it out, and don't sign anything. I don't remember signing any paper slips unless eating in person in a restaurant, which we haven't done in more than a year and a half, no thanks to Covid. I have never had to use a security pin with a credit card, only with a debit card when used as a debit, and not as a credit card.

I personally don't like the tap capability due to a personal fear of someone stealing my data remotely. Of course, it can be done anyway, but still.

[CSHS1979]

25 minutes ago, Itchy&Scratchy said:

I never use any security pins when paying with any of my credit cards.

 

Just zip code for gas 

[billslowsky]

2 hours ago, Itchy&Scratchy said:

They will have to do an extra step of exchanging a 2-dollar bill for something that they could actually use, which adds extra work to their busy days. 

 

Sounds absolutely backbreaking.  Find us any cruise ship employee who would turn it down.

[CruisingSince1982]

Nope. 

[NightOne]

19 hours ago, Tree_skier said:

I hate both Loonies and Twoonies!  The weight in your pockets becomes unbearable!  I wish Canada had never gotten rid of the 1 and 2 dollar bills.  

 

Funny "tipping" story regarding Loonies and Twoonies.

 

When I travel and stay in a hotel for multiple days I generally empty my pocket change every night and leave it on a table, desk, or nightstand. No maid has ever done anything with it except for maybe push it in a pile. Over the course of a week it probably isn't even $4 worth of change.

 

I spent several days at Niagara Falls on the Canadian side and stayed at the Doubletree there. I did the same thing about emptying my change every night but now it is consisting of Loonies and Twoonies which is obviously worth more than pennies, nickels, and dimes. I am not used to using change so I am breaking big bills all day long.

 

Apparently over the few days it must have added up to a decent amount because one of the maids took all the change and left a note thanking us so much for being so generous. I have no clue how much it was but it would not have surprised me if it was over $20. I didn't realize I was tipping. LOL

[kirtihk]

On 7/12/2021 at 12:32 PM, neverbeenhere said:

Thank you everyone for the entertainment.

 

Tipping: Who knows? We haven't hit the seas for a while and more than two months left until we do sail.

and more than a year left until we do sail.  I'm done with foolishness (not cruise lines, obviously; they have nothing to do with... I'm out of words to describe the current madness that will continue no matter what).  My best lasting memory is my March 8-24, 2020 Ponant South Pacific (Easter Island - Tahiti) cruise; it didn't stop anywhere, and yet just great aftermath (every day was as I jumped but lost gravity).

[Tree_skier]

3 hours ago, A&L_Ont said:

Up here when you card tap for bank/credit cards you don’t have to use the key pad, unless it’s over a set amount. Then you have to insert your card, followed up your security pin. Canada was using this technique long before the States had security pins for credit cards. We haven’t had to sign a slip up here for ages, maybe more than ten years. 
 

Do you still have to sign a paper slip and no key pad?

It still strikes me as odd when I have to sign a credit card slip or when a server at a restaurant takes my card away and then brings it back having run through.  I love the mobile devices that every restaurant in Canada uses.  Your card is never out of your possesion.

[PTC DAWG]

20 hours ago, CSHS1979 said:

 

VISA and MC are your friends 

 

During the covid crisis I went several months never spending cash. Barely do now

CASH is King....I find that I actually spend less when I use cash...makes me think a little more about my purchase...

[PTC DAWG]

21 hours ago, billslowsky said:

 

A lot of groups will flood an area (relatively speaking) with $2 bills.  It demonstrates that they are spending their money in your community and you ought to respect it.

 

 

You must respect my authority.  🙂

[grandgeezer]

Nothing is changing. It's not my responsibility to supplement their wages, it's up to the cruise line to make sure they make a decent wage. If they tell me that the $14-$15 p.p. per day does that, so be it. We do give out extra for what we consider service above and beyond the norm, but we are low maintenance and about the only place we've seen that is in the loyalty lounges during the free drinks.

Do to cutbacks I don't think they have a whole lot of time to do extras. 

[3kidsncats]

Hmmm, lots of ….. discussion in this thread, lol.  To answer OP’s question, don’t know yet because we don’t sail for a few weeks and therefore have yet to receive any service.  Generally we don’t add additional tips to the automatic gratuity we’ve already paid.  But, sometimes you connect with a bartender, steward or waiter, and they provide the usual excellent service with the added element of being a fun part of our trip experience.  We do tip those crew members over and above at the end of the cruise.  
 

The reviews so far indicate a pretty high level of friendly service, so I will bring extra cash because I think we will choose to tip more than usual.  I won’t be bringing two dollar bills though, because I agree, I don’t think they are easy for the crew to spend.  I may bring some Philippine pesos left over from our last trip there, and see if they are helpful to crew from that region.  Been sitting in a drawer not doing us any good, may as well pass them along in addition to US$

[CanuckCurlers]

We always give two envelopes to the excellent staff we see daily. One envelope contains a little extra and one a very positive review to be handed in to the bosses. If they recognize us as repeat customers and remembered our idiosyncrasies the envelopes are a little thicker. Just things like only one white and one whole grain bun need be in the bun basket because I hate waste and I like two towels, one for my hair and one for my body, we really aren't difficult people to please.

[billslowsky]

2 hours ago, 3kidsncats said:

I won’t be bringing two dollar bills though, because I agree, I don’t think they are easy for the crew to spend.  I may bring some Philippine pesos left over from our last trip there, and see if they are helpful to crew from that region.

 

You think that a crew member on a months' long contract would rather have Philippine currency - which they can spend virtually nowhere - instead of a US $2 bill which they could spend on the ship, or in any US port?  People send money home electronically, not in a shoebox.

[3kidsncats]

10 minutes ago, billslowsky said:

 

You think that a crew member on a months' long contract would rather have Philippine currency - which they can spend virtually nowhere - instead of a US $2 bill which they could spend on the ship, or in any US port?  People send money home electronically, not in a shoebox.

Nope, didn’t say that other than I won’t be giving useless $2 bills.  I said we are going to give our remaining Philippine pesos in ADDITION to our US$ tip, because it’s just sitting in a drawer here and it might be appreciated by a crew member.  And they can spend it, when they are home…..without having to pay a currency exchange fee.  

Edited July 13, 2021 by 3kidsncats

[BND]

8 minutes ago, billslowsky said:

 

You think that a crew member on a months' long contract would rather have Philippine currency - which they can spend virtually nowhere - instead of a US $2 bill which they could spend on the ship, or in any US port?  People send money home electronically, not in a shoebox.

They use their crew account to pay for things on the ship, not cash.  They have a card to charge things to.  

[Iamcruzin]

7 hours ago, A&L_Ont said:

Up here when you card tap for bank/credit cards you don’t have to use the key pad, unless it’s over a set amount. Then you have to insert your card, followed up your security pin. Canada was using this technique long before the States had security pins for credit cards. We haven’t had to sign a slip up here for ages, maybe more than ten years. 
 

Do you still have to sign a paper slip and no key pad?

We don't sign a slip and the cashier never sees or handles the credit card. Everything is a chip or a tap.

[CSHS1979]

4 hours ago, Tree_skier said:

It still strikes me as odd when I have to sign a credit card slip or when a server at a restaurant takes my card away and then brings it back having run through.  I love the mobile devices that every restaurant in Canada uses.  Your card is never out of your possesion.

 

Thats a European thing as well. The one time it didn't leave our sight, they escorted me into the kitchen to use the machine there

[Sheal]

6 hours ago, Tree_skier said:

when a server at a restaurant takes my card away and then brings it back having run through. 

Like my dinner 3 months ago.  The restaurant was a dark one, the kind where you get a flashlight out to read the bill.  The waitress gave me the card back and I stuck it back in my wallet.  I didn't realize until two days later when I was ordering pizza and pre-paying that I had some doctor's credit card.  Good grief, DH paid for the pizza and I tried to get hold of the doctor to switch cards.  Unfortunately, he uses his a lot more and already cancelled both cards.