Tipping Laundry

[Saphire]

Does anyone do it? They do a phenomenal job and we always get a hand written note back with our laundry.  I was thinking of leaving $5 in an envelope and putting it in the bag with a thank you. My concern is that the right person get tipped, since we don't know how the laundry bag is handled after it leaves our room.

[Alberta Quilter]

I have tipped the laundry staff in the past by putting the cash in an envelope and dropping it off at the Front Desk.

[Torquer]

Yes the HAL laundry team does a great job.  We do not tip them, except for the normal Crew Appreciation service charge, but I thought I would give you some insights on how the laundry team works.  We learned this from behind the scenes ships tours, that used to be offered to Pinnacle Suite guests.

 

There are about 20 crew members involved on the laundry team; they do your personal bags of laundry in addition to sheets, table linens, crew uniforms, etc.  (BTW, there is also a small team of about 4 people that makes new crew uniforms onboard in the same department.)   The bags of laundry are opened at a single station where a person puts the little tags on them and checks the numbers with the paper you enclosed.  Undergarments go into a mesh bag to be washed with other peoples stuff (multiple mesh bags together), while shirts/slacks/dresses go to a separate process.  The clothes then go to other members of the team for washing, drying, and pressing.  It is very hot in the laundry rooms so these crew members have an extra hardship.  Finally, everything gets combined back to the wicker basket that gets returned to your stateroom.  It is really an amazing process and well worth seeing on a behind the scenes tour, if they ever offer them again post-covid.

 

My point on tipping is that single person who opens the bags and puts the tags on it, could keep all the tips for himself.  I don't know if they have a policy about this and if it is supposed to get distributed to the whole laundry team, and if so, how well it is followed.  But be warned that your good-natured tips may not be going to everyone you expect.  That's why it is probably better to voluntarily increase your daily Crew Appreciation fee than to try to give tips to people who might not really be getting it.

[albingirl]

2 minutes ago, Torquer said:

Yes the HAL laundry team does a great job.  We do not tip them, except for the normal Crew Appreciation service charge, but I thought I would give you some insights on how the laundry team works.  We learned this from behind the scenes ships tours, that used to be offered to Pinnacle Suite guests.

 

There are about 20 crew members involved on the laundry team; they do your personal bags of laundry in addition to sheets, table linens, crew uniforms, etc.  (BTW, there is also a small team of about 4 people that makes new crew uniforms onboard in the same department.)   The bags of laundry are opened at a single station where a person puts the little tags on them and checks the numbers with the paper you enclosed.  Undergarments go into a mesh bag to be washed with other peoples stuff (multiple mesh bags together), while shirts/slacks/dresses go to a separate process.  The clothes then go to other members of the team for washing, drying, and pressing.  It is very hot in the laundry rooms so these crew members have an extra hardship.  Finally, everything gets combined back to the wicker basket that gets returned to your stateroom.  It is really an amazing process and well worth seeing on a behind the scenes tour, if they ever offer them again post-covid.

 

My point on tipping is that single person who opens the bags and puts the tags on it, could keep all the tips for himself.  I don't know if they have a policy about this and if it is supposed to get distributed to the whole laundry team, and if so, how well it is followed.  But be warned that your good-natured tips may not be going to everyone you expect.  That's why it is probably better to voluntarily increase your daily Crew Appreciation fee than to try to give tips to people who might not really be getting it.

I prefer to trust people.  I get the point you are making, but when I'm on a cruise, I don't want to get bogged down with trust issues. You could drive yourself crazy otherwise.

[Torquer]

2 minutes ago, albingirl said:

I prefer to trust people.  I get the point you are making, but when I'm on a cruise, I don't want to get bogged down with trust issues. You could drive yourself crazy otherwise.

It may not be a matter of trust.  I don't even know if they have a policy that the single person who opens the bags is supposed to put it into a pool for the whole laundry team.  If they don't, he is perfectly legally and morally OK to keep the entire tip for himself, and then that is where your money is going.  Why not just increase your daily crew appreciation fee...then you know everyone on the crew will get it.

[sandiego1]

Twice on the Zuiderdam in April I put $5 in the laundry bag. I wrote a note about the tip on the form. Both times, the form was returned with a circle around my note with a question mark next to it. I believe our room steward checked the bag to ensure we listed everything properly and took the $. 🙁

[albingirl]

1 hour ago, Torquer said:

It may not be a matter of trust.  I don't even know if they have a policy that the single person who opens the bags is supposed to put it into a pool for the whole laundry team.  If they don't, he is perfectly legally and morally OK to keep the entire tip for himself, and then that is where your money is going.  Why not just increase your daily crew appreciation fee...then you know everyone on the crew will get it.

Fair enough.

[57redbird]

2 hours ago, Torquer said:

 

 

  The bags of laundry are opened at a single station where a person puts the little tags on them and checks the numbers with the paper you enclosed.  Undergarments go into a mesh bag to be washed with other peoples stuff (multiple mesh bags together), while shirts/slacks/dresses go to a separate process. 

I put all our undergarments in our own mesh bag -- can I put a note on it to leave everything in the bag & wash & dry them that way?

[wandrr]

Maybe even more valuable to the laundry team is the following process:

• Ask the front desk or the hotel manager for the name of the laundry manager.
• Send a written note in a sealed envelope addressed to the laundry manager, by name, thanking him and his team, and ask him for the names of his team.
• When you get the names, take the time to write a note of praise to each and every one of them, then take the notes to the front desk, or submit via the Navigator app.

 

The recognition notes will greatly assist those hard workers to get recognition and promotion. A few bucks tip is nowhere near as valuable as a promotion.

 

Another group that you would think would need recognition is the team that sorts through all the garbage and recycling. It would seem to be a horrid, thankless task, but apparently the ships all have many people clamouring to do the job. It seems that they get to keep any items they find that cannot be traced back to a person or cabin. Apparently they have found some unbelievable stuff in the garbage, like diamonds that have fallen out of rings, and suchlike. 😲 Amazing what you learn during behind-the-scenes tours!

[Torquer]

2 minutes ago, 57redbird said:

I put all our undergarments in our own mesh bag -- can I put a note on it to leave everything in the bag & wash & dry them that way?

Sorry I don't know.  Even if it worked, I suspect they would take them out after they are dried in order to fold them for you.

[Florida_gal_50]

2 hours ago, albingirl said:

I prefer to trust people.  I get the point you are making, but when I'm on a cruise, I don't want to get bogged down with trust issues. You could drive yourself crazy otherwise.

Same.  I've put it in the laundry bag with a note in an envelope.

[taxmantoo]

Does anyone tip the laundry people at home?  Why would it be different on a ship? 🙄

[Florida_gal_50]

2 hours ago, taxmantoo said:

Does anyone tip the laundry people at home?  Why would it be different on a ship? 🙄

I’m the laundry person at home so no.  I got some red sauce on a yellow jacket  last time.  I thought I could never get it out but they did.  If you don’t want to tip then don’t but what is with the eye roll?  

[rkacruiser]

Never considered offering a gratuity directed to the laundry staff.  As long as whatever is given will get to them, a good idea.  But, does one realize the number of staff that are at work 24 hours a day?  To make much of a gratuity that amounts to much, the gratuity would need to be of some size.  An increase in the Crew Appreciation Fund or a special gift to the Crew Benefit Fund (which can be done via Front Desk) might be a better idea.

 

Agree:  the laundry does an excellent job!  Lots of laundry has been sent be me and returned with only two hiccups:  one pair of wash/wear slacks had shrunk (and not because of too many visits to the Midnight Snacks 😀) and one cotton shirt that had a burn mark on it.

[Florida_gal_50]

6 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

Never considered offering a gratuity directed to the laundry staff.  As long as whatever is given will get to them, a good idea.  But, does one realize the number of staff that are at work 24 hours a day?  To make much of a gratuity that amounts to much, the gratuity would need to be of some size.  An increase in the Crew Appreciation Fund or a special gift to the Crew Benefit Fund (which can be done via Front Desk) might be a better idea.

 

Agree:  the laundry does an excellent job!  Lots of laundry has been sent be me and returned with only two hiccups:  one pair of wash/wear slacks had shrunk (and not because of too many visits to the Midnight Snacks 😀) and one cotton shirt that had a burn mark on it.

I’m not generally wanting to tip everyone more so I likely wouldn’t increase the overall tip.  I almost always give extra to my cabin steward.  I used to leave tips in the specialty restaurants but I don’t do it as much now that 18 percent is added.  I don’t tip the laundry on every load, that is excessive to me.  I feel once or twice a cruise works well to me.

Edited August 29, 2022 by Florida_gal_50

[FinnishFun]

I have never submitted a tip in my laundry bag. What I have done is submit a “Let Us Know” comment in the Navigator app. I commend the entire laundry team but include them by name if I had received any notes in the returned laundry. On my March cruise, the laundry manager called my cabin to say thank you and that the comment had made them all very happy. I used the phone call to reiterate how happy I was with the service they provided. Using the Navigator app for submitting comments is great as they are usually read in real time and responded to quickly. It means a lot to all of the crew but especially to those who work so hard behind the scenes.

[Florida_gal_50]

16 hours ago, FinnishFun said:

I have never submitted a tip in my laundry bag. What I have done is submit a “Let Us Know” comment in the Navigator app. I commend the entire laundry team but include them by name if I had received any notes in the returned laundry. On my March cruise, the laundry manager called my cabin to say thank you and that the comment had made them all very happy. I used the phone call to reiterate how happy I was with the service they provided. Using the Navigator app for submitting comments is great as they are usually read in real time and responded to quickly. It means a lot to all of the crew but especially to those who work so hard behind the scenes.

Yes I've done that as well and the laundry manager called me as well.  This was on the Koningsdam in March.  Maybe it was the same ship :).  I really like the let us know feature.