Rare jc522 Posted March 23, 2023 #1 Share Posted March 23, 2023 Viking includes in our bill an optional 17/day/person for gratuities. Is it customary to tip the 2 room stewards an additional amount? If so, how much? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
formernuke Posted March 23, 2023 #2 Share Posted March 23, 2023 I think 'customary' is a strong word here. It is very personal. Many of us do, many don't. We think if we got great service from our stewards (which we always have), we leave the equivalent of a couple of extra bucks per person per day. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CILCIANRQTS Posted March 23, 2023 #3 Share Posted March 23, 2023 Pass. 😎 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pavementends Posted March 23, 2023 #4 Share Posted March 23, 2023 Can't see any point in having a recommended gratuity if more than that is expected. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lackcreativity Posted March 23, 2023 #5 Share Posted March 23, 2023 4 hours ago, pavementends said: Can't see any point in having a recommended gratuity if more than that is expected. I would certainly not say it was expected, but I assume it is always appreciated. We have only routinely done it for our cabin stewards, and once for a server on a river cruise at whose table we sat every night. In my opinion, the recommended gratuity is computed to acknowledge the service of both the people we see, and those who work behind the scenes. Any individual tip would usually go to someone who left a real impression on you during your cruise. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deec Posted March 24, 2023 #6 Share Posted March 24, 2023 AGAIN wish gratuities were part of the mandatory fare....I wonder what percentage of folks opt out. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pavementends Posted March 24, 2023 #7 Share Posted March 24, 2023 1 hour ago, deec said: AGAIN wish gratuities were part of the mandatory fare....I wonder what percentage of folks opt out. There ARE cruise lines (that I will not mention here) that are gratuity-included. And I saw on the web that sometimes prices published in the UK for UK-run lines do include tipping, because that's the way it's done there. For those of us who do consider price, we want to know what we are going to end up spending. I guess I'm OK with mentally adding on a recommended gratuity. I'm not OK with feeling pressure that I need to come up with more than that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purpleally Posted March 24, 2023 #8 Share Posted March 24, 2023 On 3/23/2023 at 12:54 PM, jc522 said: Viking includes in our bill an optional 17/day/person for gratuities. Is it customary to tip the 2 room stewards an additional amount? If so, how much? It’s not optional. You will be billed. If you want them removed you have to request 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purpleally Posted March 24, 2023 #9 Share Posted March 24, 2023 4 minutes ago, pavementends said: There ARE cruise lines (that I will not mention here) that are gratuity-included. And I saw on the web that sometimes prices published in the UK for UK-run lines do include tipping, because that's the way it's done there. For those of us who do consider price, we want to know what we are going to end up spending. I guess I'm OK with mentally adding on a recommended gratuity. I'm not OK with feeling pressure that I need to come up with more than that. Luxury cruise lines include gratuities, one of a few reasons Viking is not a luxury cruise line Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haworth Posted March 24, 2023 #10 Share Posted March 24, 2023 1 hour ago, deec said: AGAIN wish gratuities were part of the mandatory fare....I wonder what percentage of folks opt out. UK bookings they are, makes life much easier 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
millybess Posted March 24, 2023 #11 Share Posted March 24, 2023 On 3/23/2023 at 2:14 PM, CILCIANRQTS said: Pass. 😎 And Clay is late again with the popcorn. 🤦🏻♀️ 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Azulann Posted March 24, 2023 #12 Share Posted March 24, 2023 2 hours ago, purpleally said: Luxury cruise lines include gratuities, one of a few reasons Viking is not a luxury cruise line The word "luxury" is in the eye of the beholder. Gratuities are what they are and people react according. Sorry you did not like your viking cruise for all the reasons you have stated before. Hope you have a great upcoming cruise waiting for you on another line,. Happy sailing! 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zalusky Posted March 24, 2023 #13 Share Posted March 24, 2023 I swear that some people will look for a way to tip extra even if the billed gratuity was $100/day. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purpleally Posted March 24, 2023 #14 Share Posted March 24, 2023 46 minutes ago, Azulann said: The word "luxury" is in the eye of the beholder. Gratuities are what they are and people react according. Sorry you did not like your viking cruise for all the reasons you have stated before. Hope you have a great upcoming cruise waiting for you on another line,. Happy sailing! Didn’t say that. Viking is a premium cruise line but not in the category of luxury such as Seabourn, Regent, or Silver Sea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heidi13 Posted March 24, 2023 #15 Share Posted March 24, 2023 17 minutes ago, purpleally said: Didn’t say that. Viking is a premium cruise line but not in the category of luxury such as Seabourn, Regent, or Silver Sea. I concur with Azulann, as the definition of "Luxury" is highly subjective. You may consider the 3 cruise line's mentioned as "Luxury", but based on my early experience on liners, I certainly don't. All-inclusive most definitely, but luxury???? How can you consider it luxury when they don't provide a flawless silver service dining experience. A true luxury experience also requires pax to dress accordingly, but Seabourn now accept elegant jeans at dinner. Personally, if I attend a luxury event, I will be attired appropriately in a dark suit/tuxedo and my wife in a full length dress or ball gown. When the dress code is elegant casual, I can't imagine how that can be considered "Luxury" Clearly Viking wasn't a good fit for your needs and expectations, so probably time to move on. 3 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heidi13 Posted March 24, 2023 #16 Share Posted March 24, 2023 4 hours ago, purpleally said: Luxury cruise lines include gratuities, one of a few reasons Viking is not a luxury cruise line I have cruised out of Australia on P&O and Princess ships and P&O ships in Europe where gratuities were included, and they definitely weren't "Luxury". So included gratuities are no reflection on whether a cruise line is luxury or not. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KBs mum Posted March 24, 2023 #17 Share Posted March 24, 2023 In the UK all inclusive is often a sign of the lowest common denominator, not luxury, where less is more. Also as others have said, outside the US tipping is not part of our culture, so any gratuities are included in the quoted price 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zalusky Posted March 24, 2023 #18 Share Posted March 24, 2023 My definition of luxury is much more simple. Individual attention. They all know you and accommodate your needs quickly almost without asking. Dressing up and the various inclusions very so much with each of the supposed lines I just don't look at it that way anymore. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pushka Posted March 24, 2023 #19 Share Posted March 24, 2023 (edited) 6 hours ago, deec said: AGAIN wish gratuities were part of the mandatory fare....I wonder what percentage of folks opt out. Tips are included in the Viking fares quoted for Aussies and Brits. Fares are higher as a result. . It's because of our consumer laws. Even Carnival. So certainly not anything to do with luxury. We have on occasions additionally tipped in cash for cabin attendants but not always. Edited March 24, 2023 by Pushka Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
azdrydock Posted March 24, 2023 #20 Share Posted March 24, 2023 "MSC CRUISES ENTERS ULTRA-LUXURY SEGMENT BY PLACING ORDER FOR FOUR MORE SHIPS FROM FINCANTIERI" from MSC press release. So I guess the more ships you build the more luxurious the cruise line is. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M.Travels Posted March 24, 2023 #21 Share Posted March 24, 2023 2 hours ago, zalusky said: I swear that some people will look for a way to tip extra even if the billed gratuity was $100/day. I used to wait tables back in the day, so I confess I might be guilty of this … We do the grat that is added and then I will tip extra for our steward team and maybe a couple folks who are really good, but that is a “cash in a handshake” situation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M.Travels Posted March 24, 2023 #22 Share Posted March 24, 2023 1 hour ago, zalusky said: My definition of luxury is much more simple. Individual attention. They all know you and accommodate your needs quickly almost without asking. Dressing up and the various inclusions very so much with each of the supposed lines I just don't look at it that way anymore. Yes! Luxury to me is the individualized attention, and the ability to get what you want/need without feeling like a bother. Along with that comes the power to make individual choices, such as what to wear. If someone wants to wear a tux, great, and if someone else does not, great too. When we all have to do the same thing at the same time it stops feeling like “luxury” and more like one of the galas we go to for work … but I understand others may feel very differently. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pavementends Posted March 25, 2023 #23 Share Posted March 25, 2023 I, for one, do not consider a requirement for a penguin suit as evidence of luxury. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare LindaS272 Posted March 25, 2023 #24 Share Posted March 25, 2023 (edited) 17 minutes ago, pavementends said: I, for one, do not consider a requirement for a penguin suit as evidence of luxury. Now, would that be for crossing the Antarctic Circle, or………? (Do they have cod to kiss down there?) 🦦🦤 Edited March 25, 2023 by LindaS272 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rbslos18 Posted March 25, 2023 #25 Share Posted March 25, 2023 (edited) 7 hours ago, purpleally said: Luxury cruise lines include gratuities, one of a few reasons Viking is not a luxury cruise line We have experienced the premium and luxury lines. Yes, in the luxury lines the gratuities were included. We’ve even had butlers. Yet, we find Viking, the non-luxury, luxury experience, preferable to the luxury, gratuities-included lines. It’s very subjective. We found the Viking ships to be more modern and spacious, and the service and food to be better. Luxury is in the eyes of the beholder. Edited March 25, 2023 by rbslos18 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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