Tipping

[Whinenowine]

On 3/6/2023 at 6:25 PM, wcsdkqh said:

In Europe, they will lose your bag regardless.😂

They can't lose your bag if they're on strike (again)....!

😇

[mj_holiday]

As I have said before - Giving a favorable review for a crew member in the midcruise survey got me a thankyou from her supervisor and he said it would help him on the next salary and promotion exercise.  But it does take time to learn their name enough to write it so someone else can understand it, but it is worth the effort.

[Gilly]

I maintain that there are (better, IMHO) alternatives to tipping and agree 100% with @mj_holiday above.  

[2012_Alaska_bound]

1 hour ago, mj_holiday said:

But it does take time to learn their name enough to write it so someone else can understand it, but it is worth the effort.

@mj_holiday I've learned to take a picture including the name tag! Then add to list I keep on my phone for cruise surveys.

[mj_holiday]

1 hour ago, 2012_Alaska_bound said:

@mj_holiday I've learned to take a picture including the name tag! Then add to list I keep on my phone for cruise surveys.

Well, that makes alot of sense. Thanks. 

[Gpilon]

On our Splendor TA this past March/April, we gave gratuities to butler, suite attendants, favorite servers and favorite bartenders (looked after us very well!). We also gave the room attendants candy indigenous to the Savannah area, and they were gobsmacked by that. To the point, our main cabin attendant told us that in her country, receiving candy from people is highly prized. May be something worth looking at doing for excellent service.

 

Edited July 17, 2023 by Gpilon

[Kwaj girl]

3 hours ago, Gpilon said:

On our Splendor TA this past March/April, we gave gratuities to butler, suite attendants, favorite servers and favorite bartenders (looked after us very well!). We also gave the room attendants candy indigenous to the Savannah area, and they were gobsmacked by that. To the point, our main cabin attendant told us that in her country, receiving candy from people is highly prized. May be something worth looking at doing for excellent service.

 

 

What was her home country?

[Gpilon]

20 hours ago, Kwaj girl said:

 

What was her home country?

If memory is correct…..we believe she is from Indonesia. 

[vistaman]

On 7/17/2023 at 8:38 PM, Gpilon said:

On our Splendor TA this past March/April, we gave gratuities to butler, suite attendants, favorite servers and favorite bartenders (looked after us very well!). We also gave the room attendants candy indigenous to the Savannah area, and they were gobsmacked by that. To the point, our main cabin attendant told us that in her country, receiving candy from people is highly prized. May be something worth looking at doing for excellent service.

 

if i do join a ship in not too hot😄 area i always give Belgian chocolates 

[Dolebludger]

We have been on numerous Regent cruises, and have never tipped anybody on board. I guess we are too literal in our interpretation of ‘tips included”. Once, in the case of lost luggage, we offered our room steward a tip for getting what clothes we had washed and returned quickly. It was rejected. In the USA, tipping expectations have gone way beyond the customary “tip for personal service” customs. We were in a retail store here not long ago (self service) and went to pay via CC. A tip prompt came up, though there was no personal service. Actually, my wife went a bit ballistic about this. In the USA there is an attempt to expand tipping way beyond its original, customary definitions. So if any cruise is advertised to me as “tips included” I’ll just believe that.

[rcandkc]

We have given to the cruise fund and given extra coin foreign currency when we know ship will return or still where they can be used.  Too many people behind the scenes that make a difference so we give to cruise fund. 

[Pcardad]

14 hours ago, Dolebludger said:

We have been on numerous Regent cruises, and have never tipped anybody on board. I guess we are too literal in our interpretation of ‘tips included”. Once, in the case of lost luggage, we offered our room steward a tip for getting what clothes we had washed and returned quickly. It was rejected. In the USA, tipping expectations have gone way beyond the customary “tip for personal service” customs. We were in a retail store here not long ago (self service) and went to pay via CC. A tip prompt came up, though there was no personal service. Actually, my wife went a bit ballistic about this. In the USA there is an attempt to expand tipping way beyond its original, customary definitions. So if any cruise is advertised to me as “tips included” I’ll just believe that.

Tips included means you don't have to tip...but there is no prohibition against it if you are so inclined. No matter what, pls mention the staff by name on the end-of-cruise survey!

[Dolebludger]

Actually, we have been to some AI land resorts where staff is forbidden to accept tips. I don’t think Regent has such a rule, so guests can do what they wish. And we always donate to the crew fund, as a way to show appreciation for the good service we always receive without starting a trend. 

[hvsteve1]

On the old Radisson Seven Seas you couldn't get someone to accept a tip. On our recent Splendor cruise we donated nearly $100 in leftover OBC to the crew fund and got a nice thank you letter.

[Kwaj girl]

4 hours ago, hvsteve1 said:

On the old Radisson Seven Seas you couldn't get someone to accept a tip. On our recent Splendor cruise we donated nearly $100 in leftover OBC to the crew fund and got a nice thank you letter.

 

We were advised that "Nonrefundable" OBC cannot be transferred to the Crew Fund...only "Refundable" OBC could qualify.  Have things changed over the last couple of months?

[Wendy The Wanderer]

45 minutes ago, Kwaj girl said:

 

We were advised that "Nonrefundable" OBC cannot be transferred to the Crew Fund...only "Refundable" OBC could qualify.  Have things changed over the last couple of months?

In January we did this, but it was refundable OBC.

[2SailingNomads]

On 7/22/2023 at 7:23 PM, rcandkc said:

We have given to the cruise fund and given extra coin foreign currency when we know ship will return or still where they can be used.  Too many people behind the scenes that make a difference so we give to cruise fund. 

We too give to the crew fund, no matter the line: Seabourn; Scenic; and now Regent.  Guys sanding the deck rails are working as hard as anyone else.  Trust the tender driver with your life?  It is sold as an all-inclusive so if you decide to spend more than why not help fund a party for all the crew instead of the room attendant buying clothes or whatever just because he/she is the person you most interact with.  Just saying...  

 

[Techno123]

5 hours ago, 2SailingNomads said:

We too give to the crew fund, no matter the line: Seabourn; Scenic; and now Regent.

 

We might also bump into you on a Regent cruise as you have some booked with them too 😁

 

We are doing Tokyo to Bangkok in November (no bike though 😂)