Should I bring a fistful of $1's?

[LindaJ+]

Is it common to tip bartenders or others in cash?  (We will have drink package cards.)

[leerathje]

I do.  Unsure about others.  I guess you'll find our from the responses!

 

L.

 

[zgscl]

Always a hot topic. Officially gratuities are not expected or required assuming you do not adjust the automatic "crew incentive." Bartenders & specialty dining are covered by an 18% service charge (as are the spa people). Anything you want to give beyond that is entirely up to your discretion and will be gratefully accepted and very much appreciated by the crew. You will not be judged or treated any worse if you don't give anything (though tipping your bartender throughout could potentially result in better service) Unless you adjusted the crew incentive, crew are free to keep anything they are given by passengers. There is a list of people who opted out and they are supposed to turn in any gratuities given from people on that list (how they manage to track all that is totally beyond my comprehension, but they seem to figure it out). 

 

I have seen many people leave a few dollars or a $5 with the bartender after sitting there for a while. Others give something at the end of the cruise to those who made their trip special. If I were to hazard a guess I would think the majority no longer give additional gratuities. Personally I have always felt that the extra money is virtually nothing compared to what I paid for a trip but can make a big impact for the crew who work incredibly hard to make my trip special and also come from countries where $5-20 will go a whole lot farther than it will here. 

[fatcat04]

I'll be honest. We do. We usually find "our" bar which we hang out at and tip in cash on the night before the cruise ends the staff person/s that made our cruise super. That said, if we get great service elsewhere, yeah, we will pass them a few dollars. BUT we are a tipping bunch. We would sooner eat off our own lips than not tip "correctly." It's a  cultural thing and we pass zero judgement. 

[zgscl]

1 hour ago, LindaJ+ said:

Is it common to tip bartenders or others in cash?  (We will have drink package cards.)

There is one other thing you can do to make a huge impact and it does not cost you anything at all. HAL puts huge stock in guest comments. Take 15-30 seconds to submit feedback in the navigator app and mention the crew by name. This goes directly to their manager and counts a lot for promotions, etc. You can do it throughout the cruise or submit at the end while still onboard. I usually keep a running list and submit a bunch on the last night. I also always save this list so I can add it to the survey. The surveys go to corporate and are then forwarded to the ship. The Navigator feedback goes directly to onboard management. 

 

I have been told by many crew that this helps them out a ton (possibly more than an extra gratuity even). After every comment I have always received a personal call from some manager in guest services or F&B, and in many cases was personally thanked by the crew member later if I saw them. I wrote a particularly good one for one of my Neptune Lounge concierges and he told me that he was called down to the office and thanked/recognized by his bosses there and he was extremely appreciative. 

 

A lot of people don't know about this feature but it really seems to make a difference. Also if you have a problem and need it solved, this is a good way to get the attention of someone higher up to get it fixed while you are onboard. 

[zgscl]

7 minutes ago, fatcat04 said:

I'll be honest. We do. We usually find "our" bar which we hang out at and tip in cash on the night before the cruise ends the staff person/s that made our cruise super. That said, if we get great service elsewhere, yeah, we will pass them a few dollars. BUT we are a tipping bunch. We would sooner eat off our own lips than not tip "correctly." It's a  cultural thing and we pass zero judgement. 

Exactly how I am! It is painful for me to not tip. Even if I am in another place where it is not necessarily expected. It is so ingrained in me. 

[DaveOKC]

I always bring alot of $1 and $5 bills for extra tips, even though I know it is not necessary.  Usually give them to room service and beverage servers at the time of service.  Also leave extra tips at the end of the cruise for those crew members who have gone the extra mile for us during the cruise (tip amount varies by service received).

 

[MAVIP]

I bring that "fistfull of € or $ 1 and 5"  just for the small handouts (under the shoes when I put shoes in the basket for polishing; you donot have to, but I like to do it) I tried to put some in the fruitbasket to be filled, but it was always put on our table.... 😉 ); etc. For the extra's at the end of the cruise I bring enveloppes for other denominations than de 1 and 5ers.

[Homosassa]

Because someone had to do it.  Theme music for this thread:

 

 

[RuthC]

It's more the custom to tip bartenders/stewards at the end of the cruise, than every visit to a given lounge. 
Much easier than being sure to have money with you all the time, too. 

[daisy-mae]

We usually keep a few dollars in our pockets in case we make a special request. We once asked a maintenance supervisor if we could have the pickleball court wiped down after it had rained. The crew member who was assigned was surprised, and very pleased, when we handed him a tip after he had finished doing a meticulous job.

 

It's so refreshing to see the reaction when a tip is unexpected (as opposed to the look of expectation that we have experienced when vacationing on land...)

[ClippyJoe]

We have always tipped. Many times I write a note thanking them for their service, telling the bar tender how much we appreciate his remembering our names ,drink preference etc.and put the tip into the card. I do this for the room stewards also. We also tip in the specialty restaurants...I have actually had a bar tender come out from behind the bar, follow me to the elevator and say how much my note meant to him...the crew work so many long hours to make our trips a success . I cannot even imagine doing their jobs as well as they do.

 

 

 

[LindaJ+]

The notes are a nice idea

[DaveOKC]

3 hours ago, RuthC said:

It's more the custom to tip bartenders/stewards at the end of the cruise, than every visit to a given lounge. 
Much easier than being sure to have money with you all the time, too. 

The only problem with this is that many different bartenders/stewards serve us during the week, so not feasible to track them all down.  Easier to just "tip as you go".

[albingirl]

I always tip extra, at the end, to the bartenders, to the woman who makes us coffee every morning, to the front desk staff at the MDR, and usually cabin stewards.  Not a ton of money, but enough to show appreciation for work well done.

[0106]

I agree that one of the best things you can do is make a positive comment in the Navigator app.  I did it 4 different times during my 2 week cruise in February and received a call from the mgmt. each time.  More importantly the crew I recognized, thank me and told me how much it meant to them to be recognized.  That being said, I sit in the same section of the Lido for breakfast and lunch, go to the same bar every afternoon and have the same MDR table every evening.  By day 2, my servers knew what I drank and all my special requests, such  as extra milk in my morning coffee, extra ice in my cold drinks and a pot of tea after dinner,  these things happened without me asking.  At the end of the cruise, I tipped them extra.  I also tip a dollar for room service.  I always tip my cabin steward too.  The crew work hard and I like to recognize there efforts.

[doone]

I do, I always carry small bills with me to tip……

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Based on my observations after 100's of days on HAL,  I rarely see anyone tipping beverage waiters after each drink.    I am sure it happens, but I don't see it very often.

 

If we get a free drink in the Casino then I will tip the waiter - otherwise end of cruise for people who provided special service over the cruise.    

 

I like the ship handling gratuities so I don't have to carry a bunch of small bills everywhere...

Edited April 27, 2022 by The-Inside-Cabin

[RynoWally]

This 100%, those who take the time to converse and joke with me on my cruise and remember little things are always taken care of the last day of cruising. Me and the wife actually go over this a couple days before ending, besides the room stewards whom we have always liked. It seems to me that the ones who I always remember, are the Ice Cream Gals and Guys on Lido, always busy, but always willing to take time and joke around, and for some reason always remember me........could be that they see me 3 times a day...

[IPB4IGO]

Responding to the topic title rather than to the question itself, I brought a fistful of ones and fives for our last 28-day cruise and then found out that Guest Services has all the change you need. For our cruises next month I'll wait until we board to get small bills.

Edited April 27, 2022 by IPB4IGO
Typo

[daisy-mae]

19 minutes ago, IPB4IGO said:

Responding to the topic title rather than to the question itself, I brought a fistful of ones and fives for our last 28-day cruise and then found out that Guest Services has all the change you need. For our cruises next month I'll wait until we board to get small bills.

That's good to know. It will take the pressure off the port merchants who are asked to break small bills...

[CGTNORMANDIE]

Tipping with Dollar bills…maybe 30 years ago.  If you want to establish a good rapport  with your favorite bartender then I would suggest a ten, or better yet, a twenty.  This will get their attention and save you from handing out small amounts that are soon forgotten.  I would rather tip one or two bartenders than handing out a few dollars to everyone.  

[RuthC]

3 hours ago, DaveOKC said:

The only problem with this is that many different bartenders/stewards serve us during the week, so not feasible to track them all down.  Easier to just "tip as you go".

I don't find that to be a problem at all. If the entire crew in a given lounge all serve me, then I give an envelope addressed to the crew of the lounge, for them to share. When they tend to cover for each other, they tend to pool their tips within that smaller group anyway. 

[Tracey/Thom]

YES! We pay the gratuity bill at the end of the cruise, and tip our cabin steward and other workers along the way. They work incredibly hard and a dollar here and there is not much to most of us, but mean A LOT to the staff who are often supporting a family back home.

[rkacruiser]

1 hour ago, CGTNORMANDIE said:

 I would rather tip one or two bartenders than handing out a few dollars to everyone.  

 

I am a "bar patron" more often than not.  The service that I receive is mostly by these gentlemen.  Giving them a gratuity at the end of my cruise is what I have been doing.  

 

11 minutes ago, RuthC said:

If the entire crew in a given lounge all serve me, then I give an envelope addressed to the crew of the lounge, for them to share.

 

When I find myself in this same situation, I do the same with the exception that whomever I give that envelope will share the money.  

 

Once upon a time, I did leave a tip after leaving a bar.  Sometimes, I thought, a return visit after a few such visits doing so resulted in a "better" pour.  Recent cruises?  Not sure that doing so makes a difference.  No longer leave a gratuity after a leave a bar.

 

What may  make a difference for future cruises is when one encounters a bartender who remembers you because of your willingness to recognize their service.  I have experienced this a few times.  Most memorable was during a sailaway party at the aft pool bar on the Westerdam.  The bartender who served me was one whom I have known (and tipped) on previous cruises.  I ordered a CC-7.  My tall glass was close to 50% CC.  I did not want/need a repeat!