YC Tips

[morpheusofthesea]

16 minutes ago, nlclhc said:

It is interesting to see how almost everyone who support tipping is American.

"Social Norms and Etiquette

Culture in the USA is also built around different social norms and etiquette (which may be new to you). Let’s take a look at some basic cultural behaviors and best practices to be aware of when interacting with people in America.

Don’t ask personal questions — As a general rule, Americans value privacy. Asking questions about weight, age, salary, wealth, religion, or politics is considered rude. 

Be punctual — Time management and punctuality are important in America. Being late or delaying a gathering/meeting will reflect badly on you, and you may be regarded as inconsiderate and disrespectful. Be on time!

Tip correctly — At restaurants and bars in the US, sales tax and tips are not included in the menu; therefore items can cost up to 25% more. Additionally, those who serve you when you go out will expect a tip, as this is considered part of their income. (Don’t know how much to tip? Tipping 15-20% of the cost of the meal is the general standard.)

Don’t skip lines — It is rude to push in line or skip people in a queue. If you are in a rush, ask the person in front of you whether you can skip ahead (but expect them to say no)." 

[morpheusofthesea]

27 minutes ago, nlclhc said:

This is exactly my point of view, I do it in the US, MSC is not the US.

That is why we love MSC over the other cruise lines. The staff on MSC ships are 'starved' for tips and it is just so much easier and cheaper for an American tipper to get better service on MSC than the others.

Edited June 5 by morpheusofthesea

[DaKahuna]

 So, if I am on a B2B and I tip at the end of the first leg, am I tipping in advance or bribing? 

 

 

[morpheusofthesea]

1 minute ago, DaKahuna said:

 So, if I am on a B2B and I tip at the end of the first leg, am I tipping in advance or bribing? 

 

 

Neither. What you are doing is having an epiphany.

[morpheusofthesea]

Just jumped over to FB to read the disappointed Yacht Clubbers poring out their hearts of woe on their recent Virtuosa cruises. Must be the ship is in Europe ? Filled with non-tipping guests ?

[JAGR]

54 minutes ago, MonsterJoe said:

Tipping is a legal and socially accepted practice meant to ensure or reward good service without unethical implications.

I don't support it because I agree with it, I support it because it is the social custom here.

I'm glad you qualified your original statement (in red above). Tipping is not uniformly encouraged, and is even considered offensive to the tipe receiver. For example, I have found tipping is not generally accepted in New Zealand or Australia. In Japan and China, tipping is considered rude. That being said, there has been an evolution of sorts (driven in large part to COVID and its impact on the service industry). A personal example:  Years ago, on a trip to Paris, I found waiters would not take a tip. A few months ago, back in Paris, I found that "norm" has changed a bit, and tips were expected. It definitely was in a state of gradual evolution. I was advised that the normal "good tip" was 8-10% of the bill, while 15% bordered on excess! It's a slightly different percentage guideline in a place like NY or FL, where "required" service charges of 20-25 percent are included in the bill. That's at least true in the big cities. For ecample, in Miami proper, the service charge is generally automatic, while in outlying areas like Lauderdale-By-The-Sea or Melbourne, there is not automatic tip. I think When in Rome rules apply. Just my thoughts. I worked in the service industry in college, so that drives my tipping behavior.

[lgdesign]

Forgive me for being dense... but I read through this whole thread and am feeling confused as I think I read conflicting information. 

 

We have traveled in both NCL Haven (most recently) and MSC Yacht Club (years ago with a fall 2024 Seascape coming up).  We have always tipped bar staff and dining staff extra per drink/meal as we go and the butler, concierge (if used) and steward at the end of the cruise.

 

In the Haven, the butlers and concierge/assistant concierge are not included in the Daily Service Charge (DSC).  Is this also the case on MSC?

 

Thanks for any clarifications as I'm trying to get up to date on current YC stuff!

 

 

[Bgwest]

5 hours ago, bucfan2 said:

I refer to 'tipping ahead' as bribing. 

Nothing to see here folks. 

 

Bribe

Dictionary

Definitions from Oxford Languages 

verb

1. dishonestly persuade (someone) to act in one's favour by a gift of money or other inducement.

   "they attempted to bribe opponents into losing"

    

   noun

   a sum of money or other inducement offered or given to bribe someone.

   "lawmakers were caught accepting bribes to bring in legalized gambling"

    

    

[MonsterJoe]

1 hour ago, JAGR said:

I'm glad you qualified your original statement (in red above). Tipping is not uniformly encouraged, and is even considered offensive to the tipe receiver. For example, I have found tipping is not generally accepted in New Zealand or Australia. In Japan and China, tipping is considered rude. That being said, there has been an evolution of sorts (driven in large part to COVID and its impact on the service industry). A personal example:  Years ago, on a trip to Paris, I found waiters would not take a tip. A few months ago, back in Paris, I found that "norm" has changed a bit, and tips were expected. It definitely was in a state of gradual evolution. I was advised that the normal "good tip" was 8-10% of the bill, while 15% bordered on excess! It's a slightly different percentage guideline in a place like NY or FL, where "required" service charges of 20-25 percent are included in the bill. That's at least true in the big cities. For ecample, in Miami proper, the service charge is generally automatic, while in outlying areas like Lauderdale-By-The-Sea or Melbourne, there is not automatic tip. I think When in Rome rules apply. Just my thoughts. I worked in the service industry in college, so that drives my tipping behavior.

Sure - as I mentioned upthread, I was/am responding through the lens of being an American in North America.

[bucfan2]

24 minutes ago, Bgwest said:

Nothing to see here folks. 

 

Bribe

 

Dictionary

Definitions from Oxford Languages 

verb

1. dishonestly persuade (someone) to act in one's favour by a gift of money or other inducement.

   "they attempted to bribe opponents into losing"

    

   noun

   a sum of money or other inducement offered or given to bribe someone.

   "lawmakers were caught accepting bribes to bring in legalized gambling"

    

    

Appreciate ya posting that.  Dishonestly obviously doesn't apply to tipping ahead, but inducement certainly does.  We tip on service received, not anticipated service to come.

Edited June 5 by bucfan2

[mica178]

We tip as we go for waiters and bartenders. For the concierge, maitre d, and butler, usually we give a tip at the beginning (AFTER receiving a service, so it's hardly a bribe) and then a bigger one at the end of the trip. It's rare that I've ever encountered poor service, but that is probably due to who I am (polite, friendly, gracious) rather than the tip that the server is expecting.

 

My husband and I are both Americans, so we're used to the culture of tipping. Is it the best form of payment of service industry staff? I'm not sure. I do believe that generally, service is better in the US than in Europe, although it's better in Asia, and there's no significant culture of tipping there. Hard to say.

[morpheusofthesea]

3 hours ago, lgdesign said:

n the Haven, the butlers and concierge/assistant concierge are not included in the Daily Service Charge (DSC).  Is this also the case on MSC?

On MSC all service staff are included in the Hotel Service Charge which is what the cruise line uses to partially pay their wages. Tipping above and beyond HSC is voluntary and discretionary.

"Discretionary comes from the word discretion, which can be used to mean “the right to decide something based on one's own judgment.” If you're given a task to complete at your discretion, you can decide how you want to do it — or whether you want to do it at all."

[nlclhc]

44 minutes ago, mica178 said:

My husband and I are both Americans, so we're used to the culture of tipping. Is it the best form of payment of service industry staff? I'm not sure. I do believe that generally, service is better in the US than in Europe, although it's better in Asia, and there's no significant culture of tipping there. Hard to say.

 

I think, having spent a lot of time both in Europe and in the US, that what an American considers good service is different than what an European considers good service. Personally I don't like American waiters because the come to often.

[morpheusofthesea]

5 minutes ago, nlclhc said:

 

I think, having spent a lot of time both in Europe and in the US, that what an American considers good service is different than what an European considers good service. Personally I don't like American waiters because the come to often.

Sounds more like 'sour grapes'.

 Americans have a hard time outside the US as well. Our Mark Twain wrote ( He was praised as the "greatest humorist the United States has produced," with William Faulkner calling him "the father of American literature"), "A man accustomed to American food and American domestic cookery would not starve to death in Europe, but I think he would gradually waste away and eventually die." That is why we only go abroad on short cruises.

Edited June 5 by morpheusofthesea

[luvmylilangels]

When you all are tipping, say at the bar or the waiter for example, how much are you giving? Are you slipping them cash right then and there, are you signing a receipt? I always thought we were not allowed to give the staff money.

[morpheusofthesea]

38 minutes ago, luvmylilangels said:

When you all are tipping, say at the bar or the waiter for example, how much are you giving? Are you slipping them cash right then and there, are you signing a receipt? I always thought we were not allowed to give the staff money.

MSC uses the term "not recommend" which interpreted by linguists  that there may be valid reasons in certain circumstances when the particular behaviour is acceptable or even useful, but the full implications should be understood and the case carefully weighed before implementing any behaviour described with this label.

Conventions page 6. https://www.projectcounter.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Release5_20171107.pdf

We usually tip $2 cash "right then and there."

Edited June 5 by morpheusofthesea

[MonsterJoe]

1 hour ago, luvmylilangels said:

When you all are tipping, say at the bar or the waiter for example, how much are you giving? Are you slipping them cash right then and there, are you signing a receipt? I always thought we were not allowed to give the staff money.

Always cash for me. Depends on the bartender - if they simply make my drinks, make eye contact and a smile, a buck per drink. I typically have very basic drink orders - bourbon with a rock, white wine, etc..

If they are very affable, strike up conversation and are generally engaging...I might drop a 20 here or there, especially at the outset.

Not uncommon with those bartenders to pour me most of a bottle of my liquor of choice into a couple pint glasses by the end of the cruise

Edited June 5 by MonsterJoe

[DaKahuna]

4 hours ago, luvmylilangels said:

When you all are tipping, say at the bar or the waiter for example, how much are you giving?

 

 I normally give the person that brings our drinks to the table $2.00.  If sitting at the bar and drinking more than one drink, I'll tip the bartender $5.00.  In the YC there are usually two servers that go around to the tables taking drink orders and we also usually slip them a little extra the last night, if they have been very attentive during the cruise.  Same with the bartender. 

 

 

4 hours ago, luvmylilangels said:

Are you slipping them cash right then and there, are you signing a receipt?

 

 Yes. Cash is king. 

 

4 hours ago, luvmylilangels said:

I always thought we were not allowed to give the staff money.

 

 I have never heard that.   I know some cruise lines the staff pool all tips but not sure if that is done on MSC or not.  

 

 

[Bgwest]

10 hours ago, bucfan2 said:

Appreciate ya posting that.  Dishonestly obviously doesn't apply to tipping ahead, but inducement certainly does.  We tip on service received, not anticipated service to come.

Big difference.    
 

 

 

Edited June 6 by Bgwest

[perakcruiser]

5 hours ago, DaKahuna said:

I have never heard that.   I know some cruise lines the staff pool all tips but not sure if that is done on MSC or not.  

McDonalds staff uniforms even have no pockets so that they cannot take tips. I don´t know if it is still forbidden for them to take tips as before, but it cannot be denied that the success of these fast food chains is based on the no tipping policy and not on the food 😄 

 

MSC nowadays is much more relaxed about staff getting and keeping tips after they made the DSC mandatory in Europe I think they don´t really care anymore if someone tips above this. 

[chisoxfan]

9 hours ago, DaKahuna said:

I normally give the person that brings our drinks to the table $2.00.  If sitting at the bar and drinking more than one drink, I'll tip the bartender $5.00.  In the YC there are usually two servers that go around to the tables taking drink orders and we also usually slip them a little extra the last night, if they have been very attentive during the cruise.  Same with the bartender. 

These tipping posts are always interesting. While would never question your intentions or how much you tip but one reason I like cruising so much is the (generally) hassel free nature. Making sure you have correct change everytime you are going to have a drink is not relaxing to me. I can think of how many times I was looking to get a valet parked car only to have no small bills.... often times will wait in line at a hotel desk just to aquire change. 

We try to have small bills available for room service deliveries but even this can be challenging.

We always tip stateroom attendants at the end and try to be considerate with keeping signs out when we are leaving and keep the cabin reasonably tidy. Otherwise for us if we have exceptional service after the week from individuals (this will probably be 1-4 crew) that have served us repeatedly we will gladly leave a tip and feel good about it. After many years of travel that is my criteria.... a tip should make you feel positive offered with a sense of gratitude for exceptional service... a true win win situation. 

Personally, I think the best thing you can do for a crew member is mention them specifically to the cruise line for their efforts. Not sure how MSC handles this but I know for most lines it is ultimately very helpful for them.

It is interesting to see perspectives on this subject specific to YC. 

 

 

[RichYak]

21 minutes ago, chisoxfan said:

Making sure you have correct change everytime you are going to have a drink is not relaxing to me.

Nor I, which is a reason I pre-tip bartenders and bar servers--for the convenience. 

[MonsterJoe]

I try to bring a certain amount of cash with me on the trip, or grab some from the casino - and divvy it out through the week. 

 

I don't sweat it though - If I forget my cash in my room, only have a 5 when I want to use a 1, or forget....it doesn't cost me any brain-space. These people aren't (typically) going anywhere...we're all on a ship together. I'll see them again eventually and get them then.

Regarding pre-tipping (bribery 😉)I have found the least amount of benefit from pre-tipping the waitstaff.  It may be because we are very low maintenance, but it seems like they are so very busy that there is very little they can do to improve the already good experience (I've only stayed in Aurea and YC).

I think the best pre-tipping benefit comes from the steward and select bartenders.

Edited June 6 by MonsterJoe

[PTC DAWG]

On 6/3/2024 at 2:48 PM, RichYak said:

Because everybody wins. Good servers prefer it this way as they make more money in tips then they would with just a salary alone. They are incentivized to provide better service, which is a win for the customer. The business owner also wins as wages are kept in check, which is also a win for the customer as menu prices are lower. Finally, the lousy tippers get the worst service, which is a win for the rest of humanity.

Nailed it. ^^^.  When in Rome, don’t try and change it to Australia. 

[kirtihk]

On 6/5/2024 at 11:57 AM, nlclhc said:

 

But even in itineraries that start in US ports the population of MSC is much more international than the one in RCL, Carnival et al.

 

MSC is the only line that I know that publicly says individual tips are not encouraged. 

Seabourn: "Tipping is neither required nor expected."