Onboard musician tipping

[Thrak]

1 hour ago, DCThunder said:

I'd throw in $x2 if they didn't.  Same with "Sweet Caroline".

 

I die a little bit every time I hear Sweet Caroline. I truly hate hearing people yell out "So Good, So Good, So Good" and "Bom, Bom, Bom" (or however one would spell that noise)). It is not part of the damn song! Whoever started the Princess Pop Choir tradition of using that song and adding in those stupid words that don't belong should be keelhauled.

[arizonaperson]

16 hours ago, cusematt4 said:

Hi all,

 

We always enjoying listening to live music onboard.  On Royal Caribbean, the guitar player at the pub and piano player at the piano bar have tip jars out.  This is our first princes cruise in awhile and the guitar soloist and piano bar player do not have tip jars out.  
 

Are tips not expected and are these employees hired under different terms rather than on Royal Caribbean where it seems like tips are expected each night?

 

Thank you.

I would say tips are not expected and honestly, I don’t think it matters how the musicians are hired -not really what I need to know as a passenger on a cruise ship . I love live music….

At the moment, Princess does not have anything in place for the musicians for passengers to tip. Thank goodness in my opinion.
How many of us on a cruise ship carry around cash ? Usually all that goes in the safe until I get to port and even then it’s minimal cash carried.

Entertainment is part of your cruise fare.

[voljeep]

4 minutes ago, arizonaperson said:

I would say tips are not expected and honestly, I don’t think it matters how the musicians are hired -not really what I need to know as a passenger on a cruise ship . I love live music….

At the moment, Princess does not have anything in place for the musicians for passengers to tip. Thank goodness in my opinion.
How many of us on a cruise ship carry around cash ? Usually all that goes in the safe until I get to port and even then it’s minimal cash carried.

Entertainment is part of your cruise fare.

I carry cash - small bills, which I have acquired before the cruise ... easy to reload daily from the safe.

[Lady Arwen]

18 minutes ago, Thrak said:

 

I die a little bit every time I hear Sweet Caroline. I truly hate hearing people yell out "So Good, So Good, So Good" and "Bom, Bom, Bom" (or however one would spell that noise)). It is not part of the damn song! Whoever started the Princess Pop Choir tradition of using that song and adding in those stupid words that don't belong should be keelhauled.

Yes!  OMG I hate it!

[texswamper]

8 minutes ago, arizonaperson said:

I would say tips are not expected and honestly, I don’t think it matters how the musicians are hired -not really what I need to know as a passenger on a cruise ship . I love live music….

At the moment, Princess does not have anything in place for the musicians for passengers to tip. Thank goodness in my opinion.
How many of us on a cruise ship carry around cash ? Usually all that goes in the safe until I get to port and even then it’s minimal cash carried.

Entertainment is part of your cruise fare.

Normally I feel exactly the same but last year on the Ruby, we spent 3 weeks enjoying the pianist, Lucian Stana.  We (as well as many other passengers) specifically checked the Patter everyday to see when & where he was playing.  We got to know him and at the end of our cruise, I did what I normally do with our servers & room steward.  I brought thank you cards and wrote a short note of thanks and put a cash tip that we felt like we wanted to give.  It's nice to just bless people when you can. I believe Lucian Stana is on the Sun right now.  If you ever get the opportunity to listen to him on a cruise, you will love it.  Probably the most talented pianist I've ever hear while cruising over 30 years!🙂

[cruisinsince75]

I only tip if it's Billy Joel!  

[DCThunder]

12 minutes ago, Lady Arwen said:

Yes!  OMG I hate it!

According to the Internet (so it has to be true) the Sweet Caroline abomination began with the Boston Red Sox, and a Fenway Park employee who first played the song at a game to celebrate the birth of a friends baby, whose name was Caroline.  It was all downhill from there.  Just another reason to hate the Red Sox and their fans.😀

 

Red Sox's Sweet Caroline history at Fenway Park (mlb.com)

[Cruisingisthebestfun]

There is a tipping jar on top of the piano in Crooners on Enchanted 5/4/24-5/18/24. 

[cr8tiv1]

I carry around a little bit of cash for the casino.  Limits my loss.  Does it make any difference if I hand it to the entertainer, person who does a good deed, or to the greedy slot machine?

 

I returned from being off the ship; tired and craving a peanut butter cookie.  None in the buffet.  One server scoured the entire ship (behind buffet, IC, MDR kitchen).  After about 20 minutes he comes back "panting" (my addition).  You bet...he got a little bit of the extra I was carrying around.  I'll do almost anything to get my hands on my PB cookies.  The IC crew gets to know me well.

[beshears]

I have been on more than one cruise line and when listening to someone at the piano bar, there was always  tip jar. I did not go to the piano bar on the Regal, so I don't know if there was a tip jar there or not.

[Boku]

If you purchase a Plus or Premier package then gratuities are included.

[JGmf]

3 hours ago, cruisinsince75 said:

I only tip if it's Billy Joel!  

 

Please say your joking...

[beltsbear]

20 hours ago, cusematt4 said:

Maybe it’s only on Royal Caribbean, which is surprising.  It’s always been out for the guitar pub and piano bar players on every rcl ship.

Yes, true.  But only there.  Not for really any other venues on RCL.  And not on any other cruise line I have seen.  Been on many HAL, Royal and celebrity. 
 

there was a classical duo on celebrity we loved, and came to see them multiple times during the cruise.  We tried to tip them and they absolutely refused.  

[memoak]

58 minutes ago, JGmf said:

 

Please say your joking...

I didn’t know Billy Joel worked in cruise lines

 

 

 

 

 

[cruisinsince75]

14 minutes ago, memoak said:

I didn’t know Billy Joel worked in cruise lines

 

 

 

 

 

Yes!  9:00 on Saturdays when the usual crowd shuffles in.  They sit at the bar and put bread in his jar, and ask, man what are you doing here?  🤪

[Cruise Raider]

While I haven’t seen a tip jar on a cruise ship in ages, it doesn’t mean you can’t tip them or buy something you know they like.  
We’ve made friends with some of the entertainers (and crew) over the years and have been known to break bread with them on occasion, either on the ship or in port.  It’s a nice way of showing your appreciation.  

 

[DCThunder]

3 minutes ago, Cruise Raider said:

While I haven’t seen a tip jar on a cruise ship in ages, it doesn’t mean you can’t tip them or buy something you know they like.  
We’ve made friends with some of the entertainers (and crew) over the years and have been known to break bread with them on occasion, either on the ship or in port.  It’s a nice way of showing your appreciation.  

 

If I see one of the entertainers "off-duty", like having lunch in the buffet or just walking around the ship, I always feel I should give them their time to themselves and not go all fan boy on them. I used to see the third officer having a cup of coffee and a pastry around 8:00 am after he'd done the 4-8 watch on the bridge, and other than saying good morning, I'd just go about my business so he could relax a bit.

 

Do any of the entertainers or officers ever seem "reluctant" to give up their alone time to talk to you?

[Cruise Raider]

5 minutes ago, DCThunder said:

If I see one of the entertainers "off-duty", like having lunch in the buffet or just walking around the ship, I always feel I should give them their time to themselves and not go all fan boy on them. I used to see the third officer having a cup of coffee and a pastry around 8:00 am after he'd done the 4-8 watch on the bridge, and other than saying good morning, I'd just go about my business so he could relax a bit.

 

Do any of the entertainers or officers ever seem "reluctant" to give up their alone time to talk to you?

We've actually been invited to sit with them over coffee or eat a meal together.  We would definitely back off if it was an intrusion of their down time.  But, when they ask, then we know it’s not forced but rather, something they might enjoy.  
 

[Lady Arwen]

57 minutes ago, cruisinsince75 said:

Yes!  9:00 on Saturdays when the usual crowd shuffles in.  They sit at the bar and put bread in his jar, and ask, man what are you doing here?  🤪

 Very clever, thank you!  Now I can’t get that darn song out of my mind. lol

[beshears]

In regard to "officers" and entertainers on the ship. I am a person that loves to take pictures, (I'm 81, but most people think I look/get around much younger), as they are MY  memories. We were eating at one of the specialty restaurants on the Regal earlier this year. I had noticed that 3 of the officiers/crew had sat next to our table of 8, and didn't think anymore about it, until one of our group said, "Oh there's the captain." I went to turn around and look for him, and low and behold his right hand man came up close to the table with the 3 already there, and I just "spoke up" (YES he could have turned me down) and ask if he would mind taking a picture with me, and he said he would be delighted! The next think I know, the captain comes over and see's his right hand man is taking a picture with me and said he NEEDS a turn with me too. 🙂 Anyway to make the long story short, my d-i-l says, "Why don't ALL (meaning the 8 of us and the 5 of them) of us take a picture together, and we did, and it was a great picture and memories I will have for a long time.

[cr8tiv1]

My most favorite memory on a cruise was sitting in the Wheelhouse with friends.  In came the Captain and his wife.  They sat down with US (my friends).  Even offered to buy me a drink.  Nice to travel with Most Frequent Passengers!  Their friendship comes with perks.

 

BTW... most of these officers and entertainers are extroverts.  Otherwise, they wouldn't be in this business. 

Edited June 20 by cr8tiv1

[karatemom2]

Never seen a tip jar or anything that encourages tipping entertainers. However, I have often seen guest performers who are selling items like CDs or books after shows and in the shops onboard. 
 

I think it is perfectly fine if there is someone who makes your cruise extra special, by all means present them with a thank you card and tip at the end of your cruise. We have done this twice for entertainers onboard. Once was for the wonderful piano bar entertainer on our only HAL cruise who literally was seemingly the only one up with us and one other youngish couple each evening, keeping us thoroughly entertained with his talent and wit. He was so grateful for an audience and we were so grateful to have some fun - he really earned that tip. The other entertainers for which we did something similar on Princess were Elua on our Hawaii cruises - if you know, you know!

 

So, no, not expected or really even encouraged on Princess at all. Just do what feels right for you. 

[PATRLR]

On 6/16/2024 at 8:36 PM, galensgrl said:

I've taken with NCL, HAL and most recently Celebrity I have never seen a tip jar for any employees ever.

Then you probably didn't go into a Howl at the Moon venue (not all NCL ships have them) because they most definitely do have tip jars out.  And I am pretty sure the piano player in a lounge had a tip jar, but, it's possible that was on RCCL last summer, not NCL as I'm not certain which ship we were on where we spent time at a piano bar.

[PATRLR]

On 6/17/2024 at 11:05 AM, CineGraphic said:

I've always tipped musicians when making requests.

Right.  And venues like a piano bar or dueling pianos (e.g. Howl at the Moon on NCL) an important part of the gig is taking requests. 

[alwalaska]

On 6/16/2024 at 8:36 PM, galensgrl said:

I have my first Princess cruise coming up in August so I don't know about her yet. But in the past over the ten cruises I've taken with NCL, HAL and most recently Celebrity I have never seen a tip jar for any employees ever. I've never seen a tip jar on any bar on a cruise ship and never saw a tip jar set up in any lounge where a musician or band was playing. So this seems like a new thing and it's odd to me. Then again this is our first cruise post pandemic so it's been a while.

No need at the bar.  Tips are added into the package you purchase or each item you purchase. Depending on the cruise line, I believe it is normally 15-20%. 

 

To the OPs question, I've seen musicians selling their CDs and all, but not tip jars.  I am guessing though that they are some of the few employees who do not get any of the service fees added at the end of the cruise.