Tips

[TeeRick]

The usual spiral of any tipping thread.🙃

[swjumbo]

There are a lot of new people here asking legitimate questions so can’t we leave it polite?

FWIW I normally take a hundred pounds or equivalent in USD in smaller denominations usually £5 or $5 and if the service is really good then just give the staff member one or two notes discreetly to say thank you.

Staff have told me there are people who, on the final night, get their auto gratuities taken off. Despicable. 
Each to their own I suppose.

[lorimay]

Does anyone ever leave cash on the table (or hand cash as a tip) in one of the dining rooms? We were on a non-Celebrity cruise recently. A group of four women sitting at a table nearby all got out their purses and each left cash at the table as they got up to leave. Gratuities were not included on this cruise line, but were taken out automatically like Celebrity. I had never seen that before. Just wondering if this is common practice and I've just never noticed.

[TeeRick]

6 minutes ago, lorimay said:

Does anyone ever leave cash on the table (or hand cash as a tip) in one of the dining rooms? We were on a non-Celebrity cruise recently. A group of four women sitting at a table nearby all got out their purses and each left cash at the table as they got up to leave. Gratuities were not included on this cruise line, but were taken out automatically like Celebrity. I had never seen that before. Just wondering if this is common practice and I've just never noticed.

I have seen cash handed directly but never just left on a table like you would on a land restaurant.  

[dkjretired]

1 hour ago, Lady Arwen said:

I believe his post stated that all tips were to be distributed the same  except for Luminae, which would be redistributed to  Murano.  He was not snubbing anyone. Jim, am I correct?

Murano is not open for breakfast and lunch, where did they eat for those meals.

[DaCruiseBug]

The OP wasn't trying to skimp out on giving tips but...

 

Why does anyone care how the OP chooses to spend their own money? Worry about yourself. If someone doesn't want to tip then that's their choice. STOP TELLING PEOPLE HOW TO SPEND THEIR MONEY.

 

Some of you make it a competition on who can tip the most because it inflates your ego. Cool...do what you want with your money. If someone doesn't want to pay gratuities then that's their choice. If someone wants to give a $1,000 tip then that's their choice.

[Lady Arwen]

7 minutes ago, dkjretired said:

Murano is not open for breakfast and lunch, where did they eat for those meals.

Of course, it’s really none of our business, but it’s possible he tipped them separately, either as cash or on his account.  I think this questioning of how he chooses to disperse his gratuities is quite inappropriate.

Edited January 11, 2022 by Lady Arwen

[Jim_Iain]

12 hours ago, dkjretired said:

 

Just curious but when you directed the tips to Murano where did you eat lunch and breakfast..

We generally sail in upper suites and always eat breakfast in our room.   We are not big lunch eaters and usually just grab some crusty bread and and cheese in OceanView.   We sent gratuities to the General Wait Staff pool  as well as a nice tip to our Butler. 

 

Having said that the huge multi-course meals in Muirano left us pretty filled.    It was a treat.   After the first night the Maitre 'd would not deliver menus.   He would ask us our likes and dislikes and the Chef would prepare something different each night.   Often the waiter didn't even know what it was going to be until it was ready to serve.  

 

I did put on 5 pounds on the cruise which took me weeks to work off.

[Oceangoer2]

13 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

All I will say is -  if all you can do is correct someone typo.   I'm sure you have made one -ONCE in your life.

 

 

 

Love your 'thumbs down' smiley??

[Jim_Iain]

59 minutes ago, lorimay said:

Does anyone ever leave cash on the table (or hand cash as a tip) in one of the dining rooms? We were on a non-Celebrity cruise recently. A group of four women sitting at a table nearby all got out their purses and each left cash at the table as they got up to leave. Gratuities were not included on this cruise line, but were taken out automatically like Celebrity. I had never seen that before. Just wondering if this is common practice and I've just never noticed.

 

When the bill arrives, if leaving tips I have left a cash tip inside the leather folder like I do on a land base.  I also more often leave a tip on the room charge via the bill.   

 

I learned about the new tipping pool rules was a couple months ago and we were in a RS with free specialty dining.     At the end of the meal I asked the waiter for a receipt so I could l leave a tip.    The Maitr'd came over and said tips were included but that if I left a tip on the room charge it was shared with all wait staff but if I left cash it was shared by the Murano staff only.  

[Oceangoer2]

1 hour ago, lorimay said:

Does anyone ever leave cash on the table (or hand cash as a tip) in one of the dining rooms? We were on a non-Celebrity cruise recently. A group of four women sitting at a table nearby all got out their purses and each left cash at the table as they got up to leave. Gratuities were not included on this cruise line, but were taken out automatically like Celebrity. I had never seen that before. Just wondering if this is common practice and I've just never noticed.

Never have I seen cash left on the table.  We think envelopes are a little nicer and we give them to those who have helped, in a more personal way, to make our vacation even more enjoyable.

[Oceangoer2]

20 minutes ago, DaCruiseBug said:

If someone wants to give a $1,000 tip then that's their choice.

I would transition from 'guest' to 'server' in a heartbeat (and for only one table) if someone wanted to leave a tip like this for me....

[cruisestitch]

I saw an elderly gentleman do this once, a long time ago.  He was very precise about it and made sure he tucked the bill under his plate just so.

[Pickels]

We've been cruising since 2003 on several different cruise lines,  and have always left the automatic gratuities on our account.  Also, we've always gave extra gratuities to those who have helped us, cabin stewards, waiters, assistant waiter, matri D, etc.  I agreed with the poster who said 99.99 percent of the staff work very hard and deserve a bit extra in the infamous white envelope at the end of the cruise. 

[Oceangoer2]

4 hours ago, Oceangoer2 said:

Never have I seen cash left on the table.  We think envelopes are a little nicer and we give them to those who have helped, in a more personal way, to make our vacation even more enjoyable.

I should add, the envelopes are in addition to those assigned and paid through our booking.

[cruisestitch]

Another factor to take into account is that if you remove the auto tips, management sees that as a black mark against your servers: state room attendants, waiters, assistant waiters.  They interpret your displeasure as a failure on their part.  You might get mad at a waiter, but your state room attendant suffers. And vice versa.

[PTC DAWG]

4 hours ago, DaCruiseBug said:

The OP wasn't trying to skimp out on giving tips but...

 

Why does anyone care how the OP chooses to spend their own money? Worry about yourself. If someone doesn't want to tip then that's their choice. STOP TELLING PEOPLE HOW TO SPEND THEIR MONEY.

 

Some of you make it a competition on who can tip the most because it inflates your ego. Cool...do what you want with your money. If someone doesn't want to pay gratuities then that's their choice. If someone wants to give a $1,000 tip then that's their choice.

I have zero issues with people calling out non tippers…

Edited January 11, 2022 by PTC DAWG

[cruisequeenbella]

I agree with Dacruisebug tipping is up to each individual and should have nothing to do with anyone else, l think it is wrong how people think they can be nasty and rude when people ask a question about paying or not paying there gratuties. 
It is their business and nobody else’s.

[Denny01]

I find it curious that into the 21st Century, we still see the ‘Brits aren’t use to US tipping’ excuses / comments. They are probably the most traveled community and are well aware of ‘local customs’ and follow them, including the US (and US-based cruise lines) habit of not paying their waitstaff properly and rely on tips and gratuities. So I think that excuse is just that, an excuse. 

 

And this isn’t aimed at ‘Brit’s’ since so many fully understand and tip away. My expereince has been there are more cheap US citizens ripping off staff than our UK brethren. 

 

And yes, its become another tipping thread with all the posts we’ve done over and over: all the excuses over and over; all the righteousness over and over. 

 

Den

 

[Denny01]

53 minutes ago, cruisequeenbella said:

I agree with Dacruisebug tipping is up to each individual and should have nothing to do with anyone else, l think it is wrong how people think they can be nasty and rude when people ask a question about paying or not paying there gratuties. 
It is their business and nobody else’s.

If its only ‘their business and nobody else’s’, why are they posting? they should follow your advice and quit looking for confirmation on what they will do or have done, and just stiff the entire waitstaff with a clear conscience.

 

A little better advice might be is to identify the specific issue and contact the management about it, and properly take care of the rest of the staff……which is what the huge majority are doing.

 

Oh, this is so much more fun than posting about diseases! 

 

Den

Edited January 11, 2022 by Denny01

[LGW59]

50 minutes ago, cruisequeenbella said:

I agree with Dacruisebug tipping is up to each individual and should have nothing to do with anyone else, l think it is wrong how people think they can be nasty and rude when people ask a question about paying or not paying there gratuties. 
It is their business and nobody else’s.

Then WTH do they post it here.  Just do want you want and don't look for justification or "support"

[dkjretired]

7 hours ago, Lady Arwen said:

Of course, it’s really none of our business, but it’s possible he tipped them separately, either as cash or on his account.  I think this questioning of how he chooses to disperse his gratuities is quite inappropriate.

The only reason I asked was out of curiosity there is a history with this. I know Jim would not stiff someone from his posts over the years.   In the past it was not uncommon to have people say why should they pay the tips for the dining room as they eat in the buffet every night not realizing that these same people take care of them at lunch and breakfast.

[DaCruiseBug]

6 hours ago, PTC DAWG said:

I have zero issues with people calling out non tippers…

What exactly are you calling them out for? For spending their money how they want? Last I checked tipping isn’t mandatory. It’s 100% optional. How about you worry a little more about what you’re doing and a little less about what everyone else is doing Karen.

[RichYak]

1 minute ago, DaCruiseBug said:

What exactly are you calling them out for? For spending their money how they want? Last I checked tipping isn’t mandatory. It’s 100% optional. How about you worry a little more about what you’re doing and a little less about what everyone else is doing Karen.

Sounds like @PTC DAWG may have hit a little close to home with you.

[BigTorino]

If you don't want to tip or pay gratuities - don't cruise then, and don't go out to a restaurant or stay at a hotel in the US either. It's all part of the deal - and it's not optional. If you want to change how the service industry works, stop paying tips is not the solution.