Is tipping in cash still preferred by cruise staff ?

[hasentreelake]

7 hours ago, mayleeman said:

Handing cash to a maitre d' might get someone seated sooner.

 

Paying Celebrity thousands more to be in a suite allows skipping lines from embarkation on, and an entirely separate restaurant.

 

One is a bribe I have no problem with if someone wants to do it. The other is a cruise fare I have no problem with if someone wants to do it.

 

Parting with your money for a better spot happens throughout a cruise, always voluntary.

 

Whoever confused cruising with egalitarianism?

Double Like .... Just sayin

[hasentreelake]

2 hours ago, keesar said:

 

Reach into your wad of $1 dollar bills and give the UBER driver a total tip of $5.  Then, give a minimum of $3 per bag in more $1 dollar bills.   When you give someone $1 dollar bills, it seems that you are actually giving more  💲

What> ?? :@(T&*^

[hasentreelake]

2 hours ago, LGW59 said:

LOL.  For clarification, when I said "UBER" I was referring to outstanding service (yes UBER has a new meaning now) though I do always tip my UBER drivers 20%.  For luggage, IDK, just that $5/bag seems on the high end for the 10 seconds they handle my luggage.  I can do $3 though, the rest of it is for the crew on-board.  I have a lot of palms to grease!  🤑

Uber (Outstanding) came before Uber (car ride tech)

and... 3 to 5 $ per bag - no more.  
Who carries 1's anyway?

 

Edited August 18, 2021 by hasentreelake

[LGW59]

5 minutes ago, hasentreelake said:

Double Like .... Just sayin

Agreed, as always included is advertised, gratuities are already included, what one decides to over and above is a personal choice.  Just don’t be s-bag who goes to guest service to remove them!

[zitsky]

29 minutes ago, davekathy said:

Our luggage is always taken by the porter dock side, loaded into a large luggage bin with a lot of other luggage. Once the bin is full then a forklift driver picks up the luggage and takes the luggage bin to the ships loading area where the luggage bin is loaded on the ship. How does the forklift driver know how much if anything you tipped the porter and which pieces of luggage are yours?  

 

You should obviously tip the forklift driver $40.  Why do I have to explain these things!

[Pinboy]

26 minutes ago, davekathy said:

Our luggage is always taken by the porter dock side, loaded into a large luggage bin with a lot of other luggage. Once the bin is full then a forklift driver picks up the luggage and takes the luggage bin to the ships loading area where the luggage bin is loaded on the ship. How does the forklift driver know how much if anything you tipped the porter and which pieces of luggage are yours?  

Simple- as soon as they walk towards the building, people that “ forgot “ to thank ( ?? ) the Porters , somehow their bags fall off the cart .

[hasentreelake]

2 minutes ago, LGW59 said:

Agreed, as always included is advertised, gratuities are already included, what one decides to over and above is a personal choice.  Just don’t be s-bag who goes to guest service to remove them!

100% ...   If I don't have a good time on vacation, then it's on me.   
Don't blame the service, destination, cruise line, blah blah etc.
And if you can - tip 'em - they appreciate you and the tip.  

[davekathy]

9 minutes ago, hasentreelake said:

Uber (Outstanding) came before Uber (car ride tech)

and... 3 to 5 $ per bag - no more.  
Who carries 1's anyway?

 

I do. 

[davekathy]

4 minutes ago, Pinboy said:

Simple- as soon as they walk towards the building, people that “ forgot “ to thank ( ?? ) the Porters , somehow their bags fall off the cart .

Again are you speaking from personal experiences. 😂

[davekathy]

6 minutes ago, zitsky said:

 

You should obviously tip the forklift driver $40.  Why do I have to explain these things!

You must be very popular with the forklift drivers. 😂

[zitsky]

3 minutes ago, davekathy said:

You must be very popular with the forklift drivers. 😂

 

Hey, I'm popular with everyone baby.

[LGW59]

8 minutes ago, davekathy said:

I do. 

Me too and for some reason they have a couple of 00’s following the 1

[davekathy]

12 minutes ago, zitsky said:

 

Hey, I'm popular with everyone baby.

Looks like you left the "s" off from everyone? 😂

[zitsky]

2 minutes ago, davekathy said:

Looks like you left the "s" off from everyone? 😂

 

I don't dig babies, baby.  Babies aren't my bag.

[davekathy]

4 minutes ago, zitsky said:

 

I don't dig babies, baby.  Babies aren't my bag.

TMI.  Moving on. Speaking of bag(s), back to tipping. 

[GottaKnowWhen]

On 8/15/2021 at 10:05 AM, DirtyDawg said:

WOW, I can't remember the last time I used cash to pay for anything. I've gotten used to paying with the debit cards, credit cards, e-transfers, etc. My favourite coffee shop has their own app which I use to pay for a $2 coffee. X needs an app where guests can tip the staff in a modern, post Covid way. 

 

Of course if this app was developed by X's IT department, I might end up tipping the bartender my house.  😉

Good idea, maybe every staff member could carry a Square or PayPal terminal? But back in the real world, I take several hundred dollars with me in cash (more or less depending on how many weeks we’ll be aboard) with a tentative “budget” in mind for how much I might be giving various staff based on my records of what I’ve done in the past. I don’t stick religiously to that budget. E.g., that $25-50 set aside for the maitre de may or may not ever be passed on, but I have it, in cash, if the circumstances so dictate.

Stan

[GottaKnowWhen]

And on the topic of maitre des specifically, I have never tipped them up front. As with all service, I acknowledge my appreciation with a tip at the end. I am not against up-front bribes for service, but would rather reward after the fact those who do well out of pride or commitment.

Stan

[DirtyDawg]

7 hours ago, GottaKnowWhen said:

Good idea, maybe every staff member could carry a Square or PayPal terminal? But back in the real world, I take several hundred dollars with me in cash (more or less depending on how many weeks we’ll be aboard) with a tentative “budget” in mind for how much I might be giving various staff based on my records of what I’ve done in the past. I don’t stick religiously to that budget. E.g., that $25-50 set aside for the maitre de may or may not ever be passed on, but I have it, in cash, if the circumstances so dictate.

Stan

My kids were using Square for their backyard pool, swimming lesson business over 10 years ago when they were mere teenagers. Our 'real world' of cash transactions and tipping is going the way of the dinosaurs (i.e. we are old! 😉).  Of course the 'real world' of cruising will likely be years and years behind the times as usual, so we are safe for now. 

 

Edited August 18, 2021 by DirtyDawg

[zitsky]

7 minutes ago, DirtyDawg said:

My kids were using Square for their backyard pool, swimming lesson business over 10 years ago when they were mere teenagers. Our 'real world' of cash transactions and tipping is going the way of the dinosaurs (i.e. we are old! 😉).  Of course the 'real world' of cruising will likely be years and years behind the times as usual, so we are safe for now. 

 

 

@DirtyDawg It will be interesting to see how we tip in a cashless society.  Just hand over your card for a swipe when you walk into Blu?

 

@davekathy No problem!  Tipping *is* my bag.

 

 

[TeeRick]

11 hours ago, zitsky said:

 

You should obviously tip the forklift driver $40.  Why do I have to explain these things!

I thought that was a common practice.  Am I the only one that does this?  But $50.

[TeeRick]

8 hours ago, GottaKnowWhen said:

And on the topic of maitre des specifically, I have never tipped them up front. As with all service, I acknowledge my appreciation with a tip at the end. I am not against up-front bribes for service, but would rather reward after the fact those who do well out of pride or commitment.

Stan

So are we distinguishing bribe tips vs regular tips?  A bribe tip is kind of self-centered.  You expect something back.  A regular tip after a service performed well is appreciation.

[keesar]

9 minutes ago, TeeRick said:

So are we distinguishing bribe tips vs regular tips?  A bribe tip is kind of self-centered.  You expect something back.  A regular tip after a service performed well is appreciation.

 

A bribe 'tip' up front makes the giver feel important and in control.  I think most of us receive outstanding service due to the dedication  and professionalism of the cruise ship staff. 

[mayleeman]

Does anyone else tip the captain? I think the standard is 20% of the cruise fare, but don't include the port fees and taxes.

[GottaKnowWhen]

1 hour ago, DirtyDawg said:

My kids were using Square for their backyard pool, swimming lesson business over 10 years ago when they were mere teenagers. Our 'real world' of cash transactions and tipping is going the way of the dinosaurs (i.e. we are old! 😉).  Of course the 'real world' of cruising will likely be years and years behind the times as usual, so we are safe for now. 

 

Our Farmer's Market vendors are about 25% accepting cards, most still are cash based. (Which among other things means that they have more latitude in their income reporting. Not that I would question them....) But at the Market or onboard, a limiting factor is the quality of the internet connection. It doesn't just need to sorta be there, it needs to be fast enough that the customer/tipper doesn't get impatient and start to wonder why they bothered...

 

Stan

[DirtyDawg]

5 minutes ago, GottaKnowWhen said:

Our Farmer's Market vendors are about 25% accepting cards, most still are cash based. (Which among other things means that they have more latitude in their income reporting. Not that I would question them....) But at the Market or onboard, a limiting factor is the quality of the internet connection. It doesn't just need to sorta be there, it needs to be fast enough that the customer/tipper doesn't get impatient and start to wonder why they bothered...

 

Stan

Stan, I'm sure a vast, vast majority of your Farmer's Market vendors who only take cash do so because the internet connection is so bad. They wouldn't dream of not reporting all of their income. 😉