Tips

[Denny01]

This whole ‘Europe doesn’t tip’ doesn’t track. Maybe someone who grew up there doesn’t and neither does their family, but Europeans tip. Not at the level of US tipping, but this whole ‘facts/reality’ based on what one person does is good only for them.

 

Yes, I’m an American tourist and most of my experience is in touristy areas and so on, so I went to what I think is a legit website, Rick Steve’s. I know Rick was born in Barstow CA, a bit outside Europe, but I understand he has been to Europe a few times:

 

“Of course, each country has its own quirks when it comes to tipping. In Germanic countries, it's considered discreet and classy to say the total number of euros you'd like the waiter to keep (including his tip) when paying. So, if the bill is 41 euros, hand him 50 while saying, "45." You'll get 5 euros back and feel pretty European.

 

In Prague and most places in the Czech Republic, round up the bill by adding 5% to 10% and paying in cash.

 

In London many restaurants list a 12.5% "optional" tip on the bill, but you should tip only what you feel the service warrants.”

 

In Mediterranean countries, Steve says to check the bill for a ‘Servico’ type line which indicates you’ve been charged a tip for the staff. If not, consider a 5/10% tip, but do it with cash since if you do it on a chargecard, the staff usually wont get it. Quote: “Follow what the locals do and use cash handed to the waiter.”

 

 

Den

 

 

Edited January 12, 2022 by Denny01

[BigTorino]

1 hour ago, lyndarra said:

Which only highlights the flaws of the whole tipping ststem. 

IMO the sooner it's got rid of, the better.

This makes me wonder:

Do cruise ship workers on European and Australian based cruises actually earn less than what same workers based out of US ports make? 

 

I agree that the tip based system for service workers is not ideal, but punishing the workers on the lowest rungs of the hierarchy and justifying it by claiming some sort of "system flawed" is beyond cheap. If you want to change the system, become a union organizer or politician then and I'll respect you and believe your motives, but simply stiffing service workers reeks of stinginess and only deserves my contempt.

[DaCruiseBug]

3 hours ago, LGW59 said:

All are of course allowed to remove gratuities if they decide to do so.  That said, this then means the behind the scenes folks, you know dishwashers, laundry people, et al, get NOTHING, I guess the cheapskates don't care because they never see them, they are "invisible" so to speak.  Rubbish, if you do not want to tip extra cash then don't but jeez leave the pre-paid gratuities in place already.  Yes it is your/mine/our money that we all worked hard for, but so have the behind the scenes folks done the same for us.  If you bedsheets or towels were never cleaned I am sure you'd be raising a ruckus.

Again, stop telling people how to spend their own money. Gratuities are optional. I know many people that take them off and then tip more than triple the amount on the ship because they want to hand out the tips individually. 
 

You do what works best for you, and everyone else does what’s best for them. Stop demanding that others fall in line with what you deem acceptable.

[Denny01]

Right. Yeah, I took off that gratuity thing but I handed out 3 times as much in tips, yeeaaah that’s right. 
 

how would anyone know someone tips 3x more. Especially when ‘we’ don’t care what others do with their money. I’ve never heard anyone say how much they tip except maybe here when someone new was asking for specific advice. But face-face or general conversation? nope.

 

So I personally would suspect there is something a bit fishy with someone sharing how much they tip, especially someone who goes to the effort of removing auto gratuities and then tells others they are big tippers. 
 

that’s also why I don’t join threads wanting to know how much someone paid for a SR. We are all well aware there is always someone out there who says they paid a lot less than anyone else. And if you swallow that, you deserve it. 
 

den

 

[Pizzasteve]

I was informed that while automatic tips can be removed, a list of the passengers who removed them is provided to the crew that served them at the end of the voyage, and they do take note.  You can interpret that as you like.

[DaCruiseBug]

8 hours ago, Denny01 said:

Right. Yeah, I took off that gratuity thing but I handed out 3 times as much in tips, yeeaaah that’s right. 
 

how would anyone know someone tips 3x more. Especially when ‘we’ don’t care what others do with their money. I’ve never heard anyone say how much they tip except maybe here when someone new was asking for specific advice. But face-face or general conversation? nope.

 

So I personally would suspect there is something a bit fishy with someone sharing how much they tip, especially someone who goes to the effort of removing auto gratuities and then tells others they are big tippers. 
 

that’s also why I don’t join threads wanting to know how much someone paid for a SR. We are all well aware there is always someone out there who says they paid a lot less than anyone else. And if you swallow that, you deserve it. 
 

den

 

Oh, so because you don't talk about it that must mean nobody else does. Got it. Again, my way or the highway...I see. Nobody else can do things differently than you. Stop digging your hole while you're at it and let people do as they please. If you want to pay the $15 a day in gratuities GREAT! If you don't then GREAT! If you want to take off gratuities and hand out $300-400 in tips while on the ship to whoever you want then GREAT! Stop telling other people what to do with their money on vacation. Period.

[Algebralovr]

9 hours ago, Pizzasteve said:

I was informed that while automatic tips can be removed, a list of the passengers who removed them is provided to the crew that served them at the end of the voyage, and they do take note.  You can interpret that as you like.

That is partly because if the passenger hands cash to those who provide service, the crew are to turn in the cash to be applied to the amount that the passenger was expected to have paid in service charges. 

We've been told previously that if passengers remove the auto-grat (aka service charge) then any cash they give is turned in to be split among all of those who are paid out of the auto-grat.  If passengers leave the auto-grat on their account, then any cash given to crew may be retained by the crew.  

[Pizzasteve]

9 hours ago, Algebralovr said:

That is partly because if the passenger hands cash to those who provide service, the crew are to turn in the cash to be applied to the amount that the passenger was expected to have paid in service charges. 

We've been told previously that if passengers remove the auto-grat (aka service charge) then any cash they give is turned in to be split among all of those who are paid out of the auto-grat.  If passengers leave the auto-grat on their account, then any cash given to crew may be retained by the crew.  

That makes perfect sense.  So while it may make someone feel good to remove gratuities and hand out cash, it is in reality making more work for the staff.  

 

Personally, I always leave them on and pay cash tips occasionally if the extra service is exceptional.

Edited January 14, 2022 by Pizzasteve