gift bag ideas, crew appreciation

[damiross]

4 minutes ago, Thrak said:

 

I find it annoying that people who do home repairs and such don't have a simple card reader to attach to their phone....

A lot of small businesses are working on a very thin profit margin.  The 2-3% that the credit card people can make a difference in a profitable job or one that barely breaks even. 

[Thrak]

1 minute ago, damiross said:

A lot of small businesses are working on a very thin profit margin.  The 2-3% that the credit card people can make a difference in a profitable job or one that barely breaks even. 

 

Most of the folks I was speaking of work for a company that, if I wanted to travel to their office, I could use a credit card to pay. If I choose to pay at home at the time of the service they want me to write a check. Talk about outdated...

[Shelly97060]

On 3/24/2023 at 4:34 PM, Steelers36 said:

A thing I have done lately since we are now Elite is gift any remaining mini-bar items to Stewart, along with whatever extra cash I think they deserve.

Last month on Discovery I offered my unused mini bar items and a bottle of wine purchased on board to my cabin steward the final day and he said he wasn’t allowed to take them; that  any unused items would be picked up by room service team and returned to stock.  
 

I don’t know if this is something new or if this was a one off instance. ☹️
 

it could be that he didn’t drink alcohol and was just too polite to refuse the gift and instead said it was against the rules?  I don’t know, it was the first time a steward has said they couldn’t have the items. 

Edited March 27, 2023 by Shelly97060

[that]

Nothing new

Staff trained to be polite to guests who insist

on gifting items

and often will say nothing but thank you

 

 

[Steelers36]

29 minutes ago, Shelly97060 said:

Last month on Discovery I offered my unused mini bar items and a bottle of wine purchased on board to my cabin steward the final day and he said he wasn’t allowed to take them; that  any unused items would be picked up by room service team and returned to stock.  
 

I don’t know if this is something new or if this was a one off instance. ☹️
 

it could be that he didn’t drink alcohol and was just too polite to refuse the gift and instead said it was against the rules?  I don’t know, it was the first time a steward has said they couldn’t have the items. 

New one on me as I have heard of folks leaving up to entire mini-bar for steward.  Both the steward at our original room and the one for our new room were happy to have bar items (even if they didn't consume themselves).  We were moved after a couple of days due to unexpected high noise level and lucked into a balcony on opposite side of the ship.  

[Shelly97060]

Just now, Steelers36 said:

New one on me as I have heard of folks leaving up to entire mini-bar for steward.  Both the steward at our original room and the one for our new room were happy to have bar items (even if they didn't consume themselves).  We were moved after a couple of days due to unexpected high noise level and lucked into a balcony on opposite side of the ship.  

Good to hear. We haven’t had anyone decline in the past so my guess is he didn’t want the items and perhaps it was easier to say it wasn’t allowed. 

[Kellyansapansa]

2 hours ago, Thrak said:

 I'm not real clear on the situation in Australia but, as I said above, I use my credit account for pretty much anything so I would imagine we will be fine.

The vast majority of businesses in Australia will take your money any way you want to give it to them.

 

Tap and go (known as Paywave here) is extremely common, and you can use debit or credit cards. Some businesses will pass on the merchant fee (usually between 1.5% and 3% of the transaction amount) while others will build the cost into their pricing.

 

A small minority of businesses are cash only, and an equally small minority are card only.

[wowzz]

6 hours ago, damiross said:

A lot of small businesses are working on a very thin profit margin.  The 2-3% that the credit card people can make a difference in a profitable job or one that barely breaks even. 

Tap and go transactions are normally charged at about 1.75%. Obviously this is an oncost, but banks  charge for handling cheques, cash etc, so no real difference.

If businesses in the rest of the world can operate profitably on a cash free basis,  why can't US companies do the same ?

Edited March 27, 2023 by wowzz

[caribill]

7 hours ago, Thrak said:

 

I find it annoying that people who do home repairs and such don't have a simple card reader to attach to their phone but it seems the business owners are, as you said, still stuck in the past. Hopefully we can start to catch up one of these days. (It hasn't been that many years since we finally got chip and PIN cards rather than having to "swipe and sign". (I really don't know why they require a signature. It used to be so they could compare it to the signature on the back of the card but many people never sign their cards and I haven't seen anybody ask to compare the signature in about a zillion years. Most cashiers don't even know that's the reason one had to sign.)

 

When we go to events that have a number of independent vendors, almost all accept credit/debit cards and many have a small device that reads the card and can process the transaction.

 

I find that restaurants are the only places that still require a signature, but I suspect that is because you are adding a tip to the bill and they need proof that it was authorized. All other businesses no longer require a signature on a charge ship unless it is for an expensive purchase.

 

The USA has the technology for people to go cashless, but many people do not want to or, as other posts have said, cannot or do not want banking accounts.

 

Still, there are many places that have converted to not accepting cash. This has happened for several reasons including:

o There are costs to accepting cash including personnel to do the accounting work and daily banking work.

o Less being a target for a robbery when there is no cash on the premises.

 

I can often go weeks without using cash for any purchase.

 

With no-fee credit cards that give 5% cash back for gasoline purchases, 3% cash back for all travel purchases (including Princess), and 3%-5% cash back for grocery and drug store purchases, there are incentives to use credit cards instead of cash.

 

[Ombud]

12 hours ago, wowzz said:

Nothing to do with digital currencies. 

Just using credit/debit cards for all transactions. 

Even tradesmen doing odd jobs will accept card payments,  using a mobile card reader.  

When I joined my bank 18 yrs ago they sent me 25 checks for joining. Still have 18 of them. Hope they don't expire, I might need 1 someday 🤑

 

A mobile card reader like square? Wouldn't you just zelle or venmo?  

9 hours ago, Thrak said:

I find it annoying that people who do home repairs and such don't have a simple card reader to attach to their phone but it seems the business owners are, as you said, still stuck in the past. Hopefully we can start to catch up one of these days. (It hasn't been that many years since we finally got chip and PIN cards rather than having to "swipe and sign". (I really don't know why they require a signature. It used to be so they could compare it to the signature on the back of the card but many people never sign their cards and I haven't seen anybody ask to compare the signature in about a zillion years. Most cashiers don't even know that's the reason one had to sign.)

Yeah ... my card says see ID but they've only looked at that in Southampton UK. Had to explain that that's the most common signature where I'm from. Ikea clerk wasn't happy about it

 

But back to topic at hand:: in order to zelle or venmo a tip to crew i would need to access my bank onboard. Not doing that & no crew person has turned down cash or missed taking a chocolate if they're in my room. 

 

 

Edited March 27, 2023 by Ombud

[voljeep]

On 3/25/2023 at 2:45 PM, stoneharborlady said:

Crew quarters, not much space for art on the walls!

 

 

what about a mini tool kit, or eyeglass repair kit, sewing kit - room for that?

[Lady Arwen]

25 minutes ago, voljeep said:

what about a mini tool kit, or eyeglass repair kit, sewing kit - room for that?

I would think any of those things are readily available onboard.  The crew is on a cruiseship not a rowboat.

[billco]

19 minutes ago, Lady Arwen said:

I would think any of those things are readily available onboard.  The crew is on a cruiseship not a rowboat.

Or in the ports the ship visits. We recently stopped in Puerto Vallarta. Many crew members who got some time off walked across the street to Walmart.

[voljeep]

35 minutes ago, billco said:

Or in the ports the ship visits. We recently stopped in Puerto Vallarta. Many crew members who got some time off walked across the street to Walmart.

well, if we 'gifted' some of those, then they could spend that money on chips ... saw that at one port - crew carrying huge bags of chips back to the ship... didn't realize that was a 'thing'

[FritzG]

In early March on the Enchanted we took the beer from 4 minibars to our waiter.  He doesn't drink alcohol, but he was happy to share it with his friends. In advance, we asked him if he could accept it, and he said it was no problem. 

It was NOT his tip for 30 days of great service!

[Thrak]

7 hours ago, Ombud said:

Yeah ... my card says see ID but they've only looked at that in Southampton UK. Had to explain that that's the most common signature where I'm from. Ikea clerk wasn't happy about it

 

When I use my card or phone at many locations there is a screen that asks for a signature.It's idiotic as there's no way I could make a legible signature on the thing. Often I just draw a smiley face with maybe 4 hairs sticking off the top.

[Ombud]

3 hours ago, voljeep said:

well, if we 'gifted' some of those, then they could spend that money on chips ... saw that at one port - crew carrying huge bags of chips back to the ship... didn't realize that was a 'thing'

So I should add a maxi bag of assorted chips to the chocolates for the take-one spot? I mention it once then leave it alone. It's sort of like water & fruit for the gardeners

 

[voljeep]

1 minute ago, Ombud said:

So I should add a maxi bag of assorted chips to the chocolates for the take-one spot? I mention it once then leave it alone. It's sort of like water & fruit for the gardeners

 

that's a lot of bulk to carry on board - but they would be appreciated and gone for sure.

[Lady Arwen]

28 minutes ago, Ombud said:

So I should add a maxi bag of assorted chips to the chocolates for the take-one spot? I mention it once then leave it alone. It's sort of like water & fruit for the gardeners

 

I actually like what you do.  It’s not presented as a gift for services, but more of a hospitality treat to help yourself to if you so desire.  Great idea!

[Ombud]

50 minutes ago, voljeep said:

that's a lot of bulk to carry on board - but they would be appreciated and gone for sure.

I'm not flying in so put it in my Safeway online order. Will take off at disembarkation as S is picking me up at port

 

Edited March 27, 2023 by Ombud