Are you still adding cash gratuity on top of the automatic gratuities?

[NightOne]

We have always prepaid gratuities. We have also gave additional cash gratuities to our room steward and MDR waiters. We also added additional gratuities at special dining.

 

However, with the automatic daily gratuities going higher and higher it is getting hard to justify the "tips on top of the tips".

 

Anyone else feeling this way?

 

Are you still going to tip more?

[Husky1987]

If only there were three other threads to discuss this topic.

[not-enough-cruising]

21 minutes ago, NightOne said:

We have always prepaid gratuities. We have also gave additional cash gratuities to our room steward and MDR waiters. We also added additional gratuities at special dining.

 

However, with the automatic daily gratuities going higher and higher it is getting hard to justify the "tips on top of the tips".

 

Anyone else feeling this way?

 

Are you still going to tip more?

I’m going to tip the way I ALWAYS have. 

cash and cash only 

[GTO-Girl]

We always pre-pay our tips and will continue to do so.  We also give an additional cash tip to our waiters, room steward and sometimes a special bar tender.

 

No I am not happy with Royal increasing gratuities BUT the people who work so hard to make my cruise so wonderful have zero to do with these decisions.  Just like they didn’t have anything to do with one day room service, the new dining room menus or the other cut backs.

 

I choose to do what I do because it is the right thing for me.  I do not have an opinion about what others choose to do that they feel is right for them.

[OCSC Mike]

4 minutes ago, GTO-Girl said:

I choose to do what I do because it is the right thing for me.  I do not have an opinion about what others choose to do that they feel is right for them.

 

Well said.

[NightOne]

56 minutes ago, Husky1987 said:

If only there were three other threads to discuss this topic.

 

This is a different topic other than the 3 "they just raised gratuities again" threads

 

If only you weren't such a (fill in the blank)

[NightOne]

30 minutes ago, GTO-Girl said:

We always pre-pay our tips and will continue to do so.  We also give an additional cash tip to our waiters, room steward and sometimes a special bar tender.

 

No I am not happy with Royal increasing gratuities BUT the people who work so hard to make my cruise so wonderful have zero to do with these decisions.  Just like they didn’t have anything to do with one day room service, the new dining room menus or the other cut backs.

 

I choose to do what I do because it is the right thing for me.  I do not have an opinion about what others choose to do that they feel is right for them.

 

Right, but as the amount Royal charges goes up and up it seems hard to justify more on top of that.

 

Example: $18pp x 2 for a 7 day cruise is $252

 

$252 in tips for a week 

 

That is quit a bit

 

Now let's say I am am cash tipping my 2 MDR waiters $50 each for the week, my room steward $50 for the week, and one other person $50 for the week then we are talking $500 in tips for the week.

 

What number do we get to where we say the auto-tips are enough? 🙂

 

Are we there yet? I'm wondering.

[marci22]

7 minutes ago, NightOne said:

What number do we get to where we say the auto-tips are enough? 🙂

 

Are we there yet? I'm wondering.

I think I'm offically there.

[taglovestocruise]

Specialty will still get extra, voucher drinks will still be a buck a drink. They need to go gratuity free and just add it to the cruise fare.  Tipping is out of control. Last weekend we went to our favorite local Mexican place.  Big sign on wall that a 4% service fee will now be added to the bill. End of meal waiter came to table with a card reader to pay, choices for tips were  20%, 25% and 30%. I opted out and just left 10% in cash. 

[goldfish65]

Yes. 

[Another_Critic]

14 minutes ago, NightOne said:

What number do we get to where we say the auto-tips are enough? 🙂

 

Are we there yet? I'm wondering.

 

7 minutes ago, marci22 said:

I think I'm offically there.

 

I've been there for the past few cruises.  The crew is doing their assigned job.  I don't ask for anything special.  I keep my stateroom clean.

[marci22]

Just now, Another_Critic said:

The crew is doing their assigned job.  I don't ask for anything special.  I keep my stateroom clean.

Same. I ask for as little as possible because I know they are stretched. 

[BirdTravels]

1 hour ago, NightOne said:

Are you still going to tip more?

Yes. unless there is a serious issue, we always tip our room steward $10-$20 per day ($100 for a 7-night cruise) and our dining room waiter and assistant waiters $10 per day. Drink waiters a buck or two per drink. Bartenders, if seated at a bar, $1-$5 depending on how attentive they are. 

[BirdTravels]

2 minutes ago, Another_Critic said:

I've been there for the past few cruises.  The crew is doing their assigned job.  I don't ask for anything special.  I keep my stateroom clean.

So, are you're saying that you stiff them?

[Another_Critic]

3 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

So, are you're saying that you stiff them?

No, I pay the suggested gratuities. 

[George C]

We still add tips with every drink , also room steward and waiters.

[iscruisingdunzo]

Officially paying ZERO gratuities, and tipping those that earn it separately. 

[LobsterStalker]

1 hour ago, taglovestocruise said:

Specialty will still get extra, voucher drinks will still be a buck a drink. They need to go gratuity free and just add it to the cruise fare.  Tipping is out of control. Last weekend we went to our favorite local Mexican place.  Big sign on wall that a 4% service fee will now be added to the bill. End of meal waiter came to table with a card reader to pay, choices for tips were  20%, 25% and 30%. I opted out and just left 10% in cash. 

I don't spend time here with the intent to stir the pot . That said ,  this response ( for my own humor, and a little clarification) ,I acknowledge I am stirring the pot . I have read a lot of posts regarding the vouchers and the tip they should get , and my observation has been that a lot of posters disparage those who do not tip on the voucher drinks as they are "stiffing" the crew . Also , in most cases those same posters generally claim to tip $1-$2 per drink for vouchers. However if you go with the standard 18% as the accepted minimum on your standard drinks $1 does not come close , and $2 is still light on the avg. $14 cocktail. 

.....And go.

Tipping threads never get old !

 

Cheers

[dcgrumpy]

It depends. I usually tip extra but not always. A couple of years ago I took a cruise on another cruise line. I never even met the room steward. Never introduced himself,  never saw him in the hall... I didn't tip any extra. I did tip our waitstaff and bartenders extra. 

[John Reid]

3 hours ago, Husky1987 said:

If only there were three other threads to discuss this topic.

Yet, you clicked to join in. 

[deliver42]

you're trying to compare 18% pool gratuity to a $1 or $2.00 cash individual gratuity. It isn't the same.

[Husky1987]

2 minutes ago, John Reid said:

Yet, you clicked to join in. 

 

How adorable.  Time used calling out duplicitous and inane tipping threads is always well spent.

 

[bretts173]

2 hours ago, iscruisingdunzo said:

Officially paying ZERO gratuities, and tipping those that earn it separately. 

So those you don't see don't earn it?

 

Now you will paying even more to certain staff who are not doing extra than before.

[not-enough-cruising]

12 minutes ago, bretts173 said:

So those you don't see don't earn it?

 

Now you will paying even more to certain staff who are not doing extra than before.

If I don’t see them, they aren’t a tipped position 

 

No, I won’t be paying anyone more than o have in the past; what I tip is based on performance. 

[loungelady55]

Can just afford to cruise now if I do not buy extras for myself.  So I figure 18% is a whole lot better than nothing when we can no longer afford to vacation.  So, no, no extra anymore.