Tipping....yes, again

[Rdclfamily]

I can't wrap my head around tipping (how much) for this cruise.  It's time to make decisions and this particular cruise is nothing like any other cruise.  There are four of us.  Two adults and two teens.   We have mostly dined in a restaurant like Bonsai sushi where we paid for our meal and tipped accordingly.  We have paid tips on countless drinks.  We paid gratuity on things like fresh juice.  We have only eaten in the main dining room for breakfast and even then, it was just the two of us most of the time.  The teens are in the buffet.  I am just trying to wrap my head around paying $112 x four people plus all of the other gratuities.  They also only service the room once a day compared to two.  This is the first time where I just don't seem to be able to wrap my head around it. I'm easily swayed back to tipping, but wondering what protocol is now that so much dining is not in the main dining room.

Edited December 3, 2023 by Rdclfamily

[mz-s]

With the automatic gratuities, your gratuities are pooled.

 

The crew who wait on you in the dining room for breakfast are working on Lido for lunch and dinner for example. Your gratuities are pooled and everyone shares in the pool, so it all comes out in the wash.

 

How much you pay in gratuities is entirely up to you. I wouldn't get into that here because this thread will go on for pages and pages of people fighting.

 

It is up to you to go to guest services and have the automatic gratuities removed entirely, or scaled up or down, as you see fit.

 

What you may decide to do is remove the automatic gratuities and tip in cash the crew you wish to receive your tips. A lot of people do that and it works for them.

 

You may choose to adjust the automatic gratuities to a level you are comfortable with, and just leave it alone.

 

There are lots of ways to do this and it's all up to you and what you feel the service you received was worth.

 

I will say that I have a big problem with the ever-increasing automatic gratuities and the ever-declining level of service (rooms no longer ready at embarkation, only one room servicing a day, hours of dining cut to push people towards the buffet, etc)

Edited December 3, 2023 by mz-s

[Rdclfamily]

I'm trying to calculate what our gratuities will be this time and I think they will be at least $800-1000 for the week if we keep auto-gratuities.  That feels tough to swallow, especially considering the fact that we are off the ship for 3 out of 7 days.  I wish I would have removed it and then just tipped individually.  Now I'm in a confused state.  

 

[mz-s]

6 minutes ago, Rdclfamily said:

I'm trying to calculate what our gratuities will be this time and I think they will be at least $800-1000 for the week if we keep auto-gratuities.  That feels tough to swallow, especially considering the fact that we are off the ship for 3 out of 7 days.  I wish I would have removed it and then just tipped individually.  Now I'm in a confused state.  

 

 

It's $16 per guest per day in standard rooms and $18 per guest per day in suites.

 

https://www.carnival.com/help?topicid=1123

 

The auto gratuity amount is Carnival's recommendation. As I said you are free to go to guest services once the automatic gratuities post and have them adjusted up or down, or removed entirely. Then yes - you can tip individuals in cash.

Edited December 3, 2023 by mz-s

[Host Carolyn]

There have been numerous discussions re tips here on Carnival this year. A quick search brought up these two rather lengthy ones that illustrate the many opinions on this rather hot topic. 

 

[VentureMan_2000]

 

 

 

This is per person for a 6-day cruise.

 

I like doing the math...

$28.08 / $96 = 29.25% for Stateroom Steward

$45.36 / $96 = 47.25% for Team Dining Services
 
$22.56 / $96 = 23.50% for Alternate Services

 

1 hour ago, Rdclfamily said:

We have mostly dined in a restaurant like Bonsai sushi where we paid for our meal and tipped accordingly.  We have paid tips on countless drinks.  We paid gratuity on things like fresh juice.  We have only eaten in the main dining room for breakfast and even then, it was just the two of us most of the time.  

Drinks have gratuities of 18$ automatically added... you do not need to pay more.

I know the steak house price include gratuities -- you do not need to TIP more.  Assuming the same for any paid restaurants.

You can see the above breakdown that gratuities include eating on the Lido/buffet (team dining services).

Tipping beyond the suggested $16 per person, per day, is not suggested or required.   

[Elaine5715]

57 minutes ago, Rdclfamily said:

I'm trying to calculate what our gratuities will be this time and I think they will be at least $800-1000 for the week if we keep auto-gratuities.  That feels tough to swallow, especially considering the fact that we are off the ship for 3 out of 7 days.  I wish I would have removed it and then just tipped individually.  Now I'm in a confused state.  

 

If you remove the auto tips and tip in cash, those crew members are required to turn in that cash (yes, they do, otherwise they are hosing their friends) since they will still receive their allocation from the auto tip pool.  If the auto tips are in place, they keep extra tips.  

[BlerkOne]

Gratuities are on a per day basis, not per service. If you skip a meal in the MDR, the staff is still going to be there to serve you. There are also likely the same you will see at breakfast and lunch.

 

The same is true for cabin stewards. It is per day, not per service.

[havanadaydreaming]

Drinks and coffee have the 18% gratuity added. As a former bartender id take that all day every day, assuming there was enough volume.  Which there seems to be at sea. 

 

I tend to tip a lil extra over the course of the sailing but i do think there is a Tipping Exhaustion phenomenon in the USA post Covid. 

 

Carryout pizza/restaurants make you decline, or add, tip on receipt now. Etc. Etc. 

 

But im kind of a Vegas midset tipper. Tip whomever you can. 

 

My thang is to tip buffet bussers.  They never expect it and they work hard. A few extra bucks here snd there is nothing to me and double thumbs up if it keeps me from putting even more coin in the casino machines....

[mz-s]

10 hours ago, VentureMan_2000 said:

 

 

 

This is per person for a 6-day cruise.

 

I like doing the math...

$28.08 / $96 = 29.25% for Stateroom Steward

$45.36 / $96 = 47.25% for Team Dining Services
 
$22.56 / $96 = 23.50% for Alternate Services

 

Drinks have gratuities of 18$ automatically added... you do not need to pay more.

I know the steak house price include gratuities -- you do not need to TIP more.  Assuming the same for any paid restaurants.

You can see the above breakdown that gratuities include eating on the Lido/buffet (team dining services).

Tipping beyond the suggested $16 per person, per day, is not suggested or required.   

 

Some time ago they used to break down how much each individual got did they not. I recall the maitre'd got $1.50 a day or something. Was that Carnival or some other line, or was I dreaming that?

[2wheelin]

11 hours ago, Rdclfamily said:

I'm trying to calculate what our gratuities will be this time and I think they will be at least $800-1000 for the week if we keep auto-gratuities.  That feels tough to swallow, especially considering the fact that we are off the ship for 3 out of 7 days.  I wish I would have removed it and then just tipped individually.  Now I'm in a confused state.  

 

$112 times 4=$448. These are your “service” gratuities. Other auto grats (such as drinks) are not optional. Drinks however, are optional if your expenses are too high.

[Rdclfamily]

Drinks are part of vacation.  I can't think of any other vacation where I tip $1000+ through the course of a week.  That's why I feel like with the addition of all of the pay-for restaurants, the way we tip may need to change.  I didn't do anything different this time around, but I think I would tip individually next time.  The cruise lines have changed the game, not us.  The way they pay their people may need to change as well.  Cruises used to be entirely free plus drinks and we used to all eat in the same place.  That isn't the case now. 

[nycruise1]

I do hear what you are saying and never fully thought about it.  We eat in the MDR every night and certainly don't mind the auto tips.  But you are eating often in the pay restaurants so in essence you are tipping twice for that meal.  But if you do tip individually next time would you tip at the Lido?  Wait until someone is cleaning up after you have finished and give them something?  Many times we finish and leave and never see the crew member who cleans up after us at the buffet.

[Drazil65]

1 hour ago, Rdclfamily said:

The cruise lines have changed the game, not us.  The way they pay their people may need to change as well.  Cruises used to be entirely free plus drinks and we used to all eat in the same place.  That isn't the case now. 

Its fair to say you have put some thought into this quandary and I can certainly understand that.  All the cruise line did was add some options in addition to the included items, made some enhancements for more options.  This has been over the years like any other business truthfully.  You made the decision to use those options and change the game for your family.  If you or your family ever use the lido marketplace for anything (even grab a coffee or other drink), someone has to do something to service you (the crew wear many hats and you really dont know who is doing what for you at times).  They may or may not be part of the MDR staff but someone is still required to clean up or restock in marketplace all day. If you set a cup down somewhere or a plate from the pizza place (or where ever) then someone is coming behind you to pick it up.  Breakfast somewhere?  Lunch? snacks?  

 

As mentioned in prior posts, its per day and not per service and it is impossible to see who is behind the scenes cleaning up after you or your family.  

[jiggs]

maybe I'm in the minority, but I just add them to the cruise fare when booking and consider it part of the expense of the trip.  I have to fly to my embarkation point so when I think of flights, meals, hotel, transportation, the cruise, excursions, and everything else it seems worrying about reducing tips is a stretch.  Yes service is not what it once was, but I can say that about so many things in the hospitality industry.  Not sure punishing those in the lowest ranks is the answer.

[Pyrate13]

I would rather have it like it is than have to pay more for the cruise. I don't use the specialty restaurants, spa, lots of bar drinks, etc. and don't want to be paying more for these and other situations with higher cruise fares. We do the auto tips and extra only for what we use.

[Purvis1231]

We look at the tips are a part of the cost of the cruise and try not to think too much about it. I have a teenager who rarely eats in the MRD and eats sushi several times during the cruise. I understand if you pay tips at the sushi and other venues it seems reasonable to remove some of the tips from your account. On my recent cruise, I bought an emptyTrevis cup from a bar and was charged $2.70 for a tip I suspect to see a 20% tip applied soon to drinks and other purchases on board. 

Edited December 3, 2023 by Purvis1231
typo

[crzndeb]

I cruise solo and never eat in the MDR, but I leave tips on, because I still eat in other places. I would suggest maybe putting some cruise cash on your account periodically before your cruise, and that can help lower your final bill. That’s what I plan on doing for my 25 night TP in Oct.

[notscb]

20 hours ago, Rdclfamily said:

We have mostly dined in a restaurant like Bonsai sushi where we paid for our meal and tipped accordingly.

I might be wrong, but don't specialty restaurants onboard already come with a gratuity added to the bill. I'm wondering if this is part of your conundrum in that you've been adding onto what already exists in the past.

[Rdclfamily]

13 minutes ago, notscb said:

I might be wrong, but don't specialty restaurants onboard already come with a gratuity added to the bill. I'm wondering if this is part of your conundrum in that you've been adding onto what already exists in the past.

This is largely the problem.  

[Rdclfamily]

6 hours ago, Pyrate13 said:

I would rather have it like it is than have to pay more for the cruise. I don't use the specialty restaurants, spa, lots of bar drinks, etc. and don't want to be paying more for these and other situations with higher cruise fares. We do the auto tips and extra only for what we use.

We paid nearly $3000 for an interior closet of a room for four people. I feel like the rate was decently high.  

[BlerkOne]

20 minutes ago, notscb said:

I might be wrong, but don't specialty restaurants onboard already come with a gratuity added to the bill. I'm wondering if this is part of your conundrum in that you've been adding onto what already exists in the past.

 

6 minutes ago, Rdclfamily said:

This is largely the problem.  

Some do, some don't. 18% gratuity is added to Chef's Table, for example.

[Rdclfamily]

3 hours ago, crzndeb said:

I cruise solo and never eat in the MDR, but I leave tips on, because I still eat in other places. I would suggest maybe putting some cruise cash on your account periodically before your cruise, and that can help lower your final bill. That’s what I plan on doing for my 25 night TP in Oct.

This isn't about whether or not I can afford it.  It's about whether or not I can justify it.  $800-$1000+ for a week in gratuity is steep for the type of vacation we took i.e. not super desirable ports, just "okay" food, being off the boat three out of 7 days and tipping the staff off the boat, and an interior room for four people that left us having to stage when we get ready.   I might imagine we would pay this type of gratuity at a much fancier location or for a longer vacation.  It's just off base. I love cruising, I just think with the changes the cruise ships are making we might have to change the way we approach things.  I believe that everyone deserves fair gratuity, but I don't believe we are responsible for the entire pyramid top to bottom.  Carnival has a responsibility to evolve with the changes they are making.  Perhaps they can provide a bill in the MDR, and state how much the gratuity is based on how much the food would have cost us.  

[ChinaShrek]

18 hours ago, BlerkOne said:

Gratuities are on a per day basis, not per service. If you skip a meal in the MDR, the staff is still going to be there to serve you. There are also likely the same you will see at breakfast and lunch.

 

The same is true for cabin stewards. It is per day, not per service.

They (whoever they are) have reduced service since Covid, however.

[BlerkOne]

1 minute ago, Rdclfamily said:

This isn't about whether or not I can afford it.  It's about whether or not I can justify it.  $800-$1000+ for a week in gratuity is steep for the type of vacation we took i.e. not super desirable ports, just "okay" food, being off the boat three out of 7 days and tipping the staff off the boat, and an interior room for four people that left us having to stage when we get ready.   I might imagine we would pay this type of gratuity at a much fancier location or for a longer vacation.  It's just off base. I love cruising, I just think with the changes the cruise ships are making we might have to change the way we approach things.  I believe that everyone deserves fair gratuity, but I don't believe we are responsible for the entire pyramid top to bottom.  Carnival has a responsibility to evolve with the changes they are making.  Perhaps they can provide a bill in the MDR, and state how much the gratuity is based on how much the food would have cost us.  

None of the reasons you list are the responsibility of the people the gratuities are for. You are responsible for choosing the cruise.