Do I tip room service?

[peribit]

I usually do not order room service but I might have to on the next Regent cruises.  I am just wondering if I should tip room service?

[mrlevin]

NO!

[RachelG]

No

[pingpong1]

And, NO!

[Rothko1]

No no

[rcandkc]

Ditto

[Got2Cruise]

I always tip room service. A few dollars. That’s me. 

[cwn]

No, and they do not hang around waiting for a tip.

[Pcardad]

You do not have to nor is it expected....but you are free to do whatever you want.

[texasatty]

Let your heart be your guide 😃

[labonnevie]

No, and I don’t tip the waiter in Compass Rose either. 

[NCCruzQueen]

No

[GOARMY]

No.  

 

GOARMY!

 

[DavidTheWonderer]

Once again I post here about the crew fund. This is not to criticize those who don't know about it (yet).

As an alternative to tipping individuals, consider donating to this crew fund instead. This is used to fund perqs in the crew areas, parties, emergency transport if a family member gets sick or dies, etc. etc. It benefits all the crew, including the "back of the house" staff who we don't see but are vital in making our cruises so wonderful.

We tend to benchmark something like $20 / day for our contribution. Personally I like the fact that the process is sort of anonymous, but some would find that a negative I guess.

Edited April 29, 2023 by DavidTheWonderer

[mj_holiday]

Get the name of your server and if that server did well be sure to complement the server in end of cruise survey. 

[ysolde]

I mean, there didn't seem to be any expectation for a tip when we ordered room service, but perhaps we misread the cues.  

[papaflamingo]

21 hours ago, ysolde said:

I mean, there didn't seem to be any expectation for a tip when we ordered room service, but perhaps we misread the cues.  

We have NEVER seen any indication that a tip is expected on Regent, anywhere.  In fact, on our last cruise, after 40 nights, we tried to tip our Cabin Stewards (who took exceptional care of us) and they both graciously tried  to decline taking the extra tips.  So no, you didn't misread any cues.  

[Pcardad]

5 hours ago, papaflamingo said:

We have NEVER seen any indication that a tip is expected on Regent, anywhere.  In fact, on our last cruise, after 40 nights, we tried to tip our Cabin Stewards (who took exceptional care of us) and they both graciously tried  to decline taking the extra tips.  So no, you didn't misread any cues.  

Agreed -never an expectation of a tip nor a requirement to do so. You are, however, free to do what you want. Just don't leave money on the bar if you order a drink. 

[labonnevie]

On 4/29/2023 at 6:43 PM, mj_holiday said:

Get the name of your server and if that server did well be sure to complement the server in end of cruise survey. 

Agree, we try to name as many staff as possible in our post cruise survey. 

[UUNetBill]

I've been led to believe that positive reviews BY NAME on the cruise surveys are much more appreciated by the crew as they can lead to promotions throughout the fleet.  Not sure whether that's true but I've heard it enough to believe it may be.

 

Crew fund is a good idea as well.  

 

I don't think we've ever tipped directly on board any of our Regent cruises - and it's not because we don't tip, it's just that I've never felt tipping was required nor expected on Regent.  But as with all things these days, do what you want.

[RachelG]

We have only directly tipped a couple of times on Regent, and it was when the person went above and beyond what was expected.  However, on our last cruise, I had about $50 cash in Korean money left, and I knew the ship was going back to Korea the next week.  So I gave it to the room steward who could actually use it to buy something rather than take it home and put it in our safe, where it would probably never leave.

[wcsdkqh]

Only time I’ve tipped on Regent was on the 2nd Splendor cruise following restart last year. As usual, service was superb, but I also wanted to help employees who were undoubtedly hurt financially due to the shutdown. Most countries did not pay their folks to stay at home.

[ysolde]

The only place I saw a specific opportunity for an additional tip was at the spa.  They hand you a bill there, and there is an included tip (18%, I believe), plus a line where you can add an extra tip if you desire.  For room service, basic bar service, restaurant service, etc., they don't hand you a bill.  So I guess you could tip them in cash, if you wanted.  Again, there is no expectation there, so don't stress about it.

[cruiseej]

5 hours ago, ysolde said:

The only place I saw a specific opportunity for an additional tip was at the spa.

The spa is staffed by employees of an outside concessionnaire, unlike the restaurants and bars. 

[UUNetBill]

2 hours ago, cruiseej said:

The spa is staffed by employees of an outside concessionnaire, unlike the restaurants and bars. 

Yeah, there have been numerous discussions about tipping at the spa - apparently some of the spa employees used to press for a tip and/or 'forget to mention' the included gratuity and a lot of people felt ripped off  - especially at the prices they charge for services.  🙂

 

I believe it was worse under Canyon Ranch than it is under Serene but I don't know as I don't do spa stuff on board.